Theory

Activity1:
Specificheatistheamountofheatrequiredtochangethetemperatureof1gofa
substanceby1C.Thechangeintemperatureofasubstanceisproportionaltothe
amountofheataddedorremovedfromit.Theamountofheatrequiredtochangethe
temperatureofanobjectisalsoproportionaltothemassofanobject.This
relationshipisshownintheequationbelow.
Q=mct
Qistheheataddedorremoved,misthemass,cisthespecificheatandtisthe
changeintemperature.Inthefirstactivitythehotmetalobjectwasaddedtowaterin
avesselofcalorimeterandthewaterinsidewasstirredforthesystemtobeinthermal
equilibrium.Thecalorimeterinsulatesthesystemfromlosingheat.Theheatlostby
themetalisequaltotheheatgainedbythewaterandbyconservationofenergy.This
isshownintheequation:
Qal=Qwater+Qcal
IntegratingtheequationabovewithQ=mctwillgivetheequationforspecificheatof
themetalobject:
Cal =

m w c w t w + m cal c cal t cal

m al t al

Theacceptedvaluefor Cal inthisactivityis0.22cal/gc

Activity2:
Heatoffusionistheamountofheatrequiredtoconvertaunitofsolidmassinto
liquidwithoutchangeintemperature.Forthesecondactivitytheequationbelowwill
beapplied.
Q=miceLf
TheheatgainedorlostisequaltoQandLfisthelatentheatoffusion.Theequation
forlostheatis m w c w t w+mcal c cal t cal andtheheatgainedisequaltomiceLf+
micecmeltedice+tmeltedice.ConservationofHeatenergyalsoappliesinthisactivity
whereintheheatlostisequaltotheamountofheatgained.Fromthis,theequationfor
LatentHeatoffusioncanbederived:
Qgained+Qlost=0
mice L f +m ice c melted ice+ t melted ice+m w c w t w+mcal c cal t cal=0

Lf=

ice
w c w t w +mcal c cal t cal +mice c ice t

Activity3:
Atemperatureincreaseinsolidsleadstotheexpansionofanobjectasawhole.This
expansionresultsfromachangeinthedistanceseparatingtheatomsofasubstance.
Withincreasedtemperature,theatomsbecomemoreactiveandvibrateoverlarger
distances.Thesolidexpandsasawholeduetothewidervibrationsoftheatoms.The
changeintemperatureandthechangeinlengthofanobjectisproportional,this
relationshipisshownintheequationbelow.
L Lo t
L = Lo t
is the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of aluminum, L is the change in
length, Lo is the original length and t is the change in temperature. is the change in
length per degree temperature change L/ Lo.Theequationforthecoefficientof
linearexpansionisshownbelow.
=

L
Lo t

The accepted value for in this activity is 25 x 10-6 C.

References:
Wilson, J. D. & Hernandez-Hall, C. A. (2015). Specific heats of metals. Physics
Laboratory Experiments (8th ed.) (pp. 273-274). USA: Cengage Learning.
Wilson, J. D. & Hernandez-Hall, C. A. (2015). The thermal coefficient of linear
expansion. Physics Laboratory Experiments (8th ed.) (pp. 263-264). USA: Cengage
Learning.
Heatoffusion.Retrievedfrom
http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/Energy/HeatFusion.htm