THERMODYNAMIC LABORATORY

Duhok Polytechnic University

Technical College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Department
Class: Second, 2021 - 2022

Lecturer's Name: Experiment No. (4)

Mr. Majid Ali Group (A2)

Title of Experiment:

Specific Heat Capacity of Water

Student Name:

Hayder Hassan Hussain

Date of experiment: 8/2/2022

Date of submission: 15/2/2022

Table of Contents Page
Purpose: .................................................................................................... 1

Introduction: ............................................................................................ 1

Equipment: ............................................................................................... 3

Experimental Procedure: ....................................................................... 4

Reding & Calculation: ............................................................................ 5

Graph:....................................................................................................... 6

Discussion: ................................................................................................ 7

Conclusion: ............................................................................................. 10

Refence: .................................................................................................. 11
Purpose:

Determination of specific heat capacity of water using an electrical heating method.

Introduction:
General information about specific heat capacity can be found in the task Comparing
Specific Heat of Water and Vegetable Oil, Theory. Let us note that if we know the
specific heat capacity c of a substance of mass m, which is heated (cooled) by Δt,
the heat Q supplied to (taken out of) the substance can be expressed as:

Q= cm Δt

In this experiment, the water is heated by electric current passing through a heating
coil. If such a coil is connected to a voltage source U and electric current, I pass
through it in time τ electric work We is performed in the coil and it is described as:

We=UIτ

If we heat the water using an alternating current, then U and I are the effective
values.

When the current passes through the heating coil, the coil warms up and transfers
heat to the water and the inner container of the calorimeter (the outer container is
insulated from the inner one by polystyrene; therefore we do not have to consider
the heating of the outer container of the calorimeter). Because the law of
conservation of energy applies, the electrical work done on the coil We must be equal
to the total supplied heat; mathematically written:

We=Qw+Qc

where Qw is the heat supplied to the water and Qc is the heat supplied to the
calorimeter. On the basis of the equation (1) we can now substitute for the heats in
the equation (3) and we obtain

1
 We=cwmwΔt + ccmcΔt

where cw anf cc are the specific heat capacity of water, resp. of the material from
which the inner container of the calorimeter is made, and mw a mc is the mass of
water, resp. of the inner container of the calorimeter. The temperature increase Δt is
the same for water and calorimeter because these objects are in thermal equilibrium,
unless they are heated extremely quickly. Finally, all that remains is to substitute
from the equation (2) into the equation (4) and evaluate the specific heat capacity of
water:

Cw=We−ccmc Δt / mwΔt = UIτ−ccmcΔt / mwΔt

The relation (5) gives us clear information which variables need to be determined
when calculating the specific heat capacity.

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Equipment:
1. Thermometer 2. Calorimeter with outer jacket 3. Electrical key
4. stop watches 5. Voltmeter 6. Ammeter
7. Heating Coil 8. power supply 9. Rheostat
10. stirrer

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Experimental Procedure:

1- Determine the mass of the aluminum empty calorimeter (mAL) whose specific
heat is known (CAL for Al = 0.217 cal/g.℃)

2- Determine the mass of the water in the calorimeter (mw) whose specific heat (Cw)
is unknown.

3- Switch on the power supply, set the voltage and the current.

4- Read the temperature at each (2 minute) for (10 minutes)

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Reding & Calculation:

m of empty calorimeter = 26.45 g

m of full calorimeter = 183.42 g

Mass of water = 183.4 – 26.45 = 156.79 g

V volt = 10 V I current = 3.3 A

Time (t), Temperature
(min.) (T), (C°)
0 9
2 12
4 15
6 21
8 25.5
10 29
𝑉.𝐼.∆𝑡
,mAl *Cal + mwater *Cwater *T=
𝐽

10𝑉∗3.3 𝐴∗10 min∗60 𝑠 /1𝑚𝑖𝑛

26.45 g *0.217 Cal /g.℃ + 156.97g Cwater *29℃-9℃ =
4.2 𝐽

114.793 + 3139.4 Cwater = 4714.28

4714.28−114.793
Cwater =
3139.4

Cwater = 1.46 Cal / g.℃ , Cwater (theory) = 1 Cal /g.℃

𝐶 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑦−𝐶𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
%error = │ │* 100 %
𝐶 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑦

1.46−1
% Error = │ │* 100 % = 46 %
1

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Graph:

35

30

25
Temperature (T),

20
(C°)

15

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time (t),
(min.)

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Discussion:

1- What is the difference between the temperature and heat?

Heat Temperature

Definition Form of energy measurement of hotness or coldness

Unit of measurement Joule, calorie Celsius, Kelvin, Fahrenheit

Values positive positive and negative

Property goes from hot to cold rises when heated; falls when cooled

Device calorimeter thermometer

2- What are the error sources in this experiment?

Heat can be lost through the heating chamber, also heat can be lost through
the thermometer. Heat lost through an inefficiency in transfer from the heating
element to the water. Noncalibrated thermometer, or general inaccuracies in the
temperature measurement (even if the thermometer is calibrated). Non-uniform
heating of the water measuring the temperature in a 'hot' or 'cold spot. If stirring the
water to prevent non-uniform heating, the addition of energy to the water, from the
stirring device. Also taking more time to transfer metal to water will cause loss of
energy and our result will not be precise. The human error is common, like doing
calculations someone can get wrong answer.

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 3- Calculate the percentage error by the relation:

C (practical) Water = 1.46 Cal /g.℃

C (theory) Water = 1 Cal /g.℃
𝐶 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑦−𝐶𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
Error % = │ │* 100 %
𝐶 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑦

1.46−1
Error % = │ │* 100 %
1

Error % 46 %

4- What is the difference between heat capacity and specific heat capacity?

Parameters
of Specific heat Heat capacity
Comparison
It is the amount of heat energy required It is the amount of heat energy
Definition by a unit of mass of a substance to raise required by a substance to raise its
its temperature through1℃ or 1 k. temperature by 1℃ or 1 K.
Dependency
Does not depend on mass. Depends on mass.
on mass
Joule per kilogram per Kelvin (J Kg⎺1
Joule per Kelvin (J K⎺1) or Joule
SI unit K⎺1) or Joule per kilogram per degree
per degree (J ℃⎺1)
Celsius (J Kg⎺1 ℃⎺1)
Formula Q = mc T C = Q/ T
Denoted by c C

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5- If we have 1 kg of water and 2 kg of water which one will reach at
boiling point first? Why?

The thinner the water level, the faster the boiling point, and the greater the
surface area exposed to heat, the greater the boiling point. Thus, 1 kilogram
of water will reach the boiling point faster than 2 kilograms if it is in the same
area exposed to heat.

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Conclusion:

Finally, as we have found out the fact that impure water (tap water) differs

from pure water with its specific heat capacity. As we know tap water contains

other elements like minerals and chlorine which make it different from pure

water. While we are working on the experiment, amount of water should

remain constant to be able to have more accurate results. We were testing the

effect of time on our experiment. Therefore, change in amount of water could

affect out variable in this experiment Also, we make sure that thermometer

does not touch the bottom of our kettle to only estimate the temperature of

water not energy coming from electricity. In order to find closer values.

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Refence:

https://www.tuttee.co/blog/phys-measuring-specific-heat-capacity-
of-water

https://studylib.net/doc/9092718/specific-heat-capacity-
%E2%80%93-lab-report

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