PHY 101: Lab 10 – Specific Heat Capacity of Metals

Overview/Purpose

     In this lab we will be determining the specific heat of two metal samples and comparing them to accepted values.

Observations

Table 1: Lead Weight

Table 2: Washers

Calculations

Determine the percent difference between the values you calculated for each metal (from the last column in the above tables)  and the accepted value (Given in the Lab Manual).

Percent Difference for Weight (Lead): ________%

Percent Difference for Washers (Steel): ________%

Questions

A.        Why is it a good idea to start with room temperature water in the calorimeter?

B.         Why did we ignore the calorimeter in our calculation although it is listed in the original equation?

C.         When eating apple pie, you may have noticed that the filling seems to be much hotter than the crust. Why is this? What can you conclude about the specific heat of the filling versus the specific heat of the crust?

D.        Is the heat exchange between the metal and the water in the calorimeter produced by radiation, conduction, or convection? Explain your answer.