Lab 3 Calibrating a Calorimeter

MET 3100 Applied Thermodynamics

Student Name
Mohammed Al Adam

For Professor James Kamm

Date Jan,30,2017
Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to calculate the correction factor based on the data got from

the calorimeter, calibration factor is the 'heat capacity' of a calorimeter, how much it takes to

heat up the entire calorimeter by 1 degree. This includes the water, a thermometer, a metallic

cup, etc. Each object has its own specific heat capacity, and each object has a certain mass.

So, we can calculate how much energy it takes to heat the water, and the glass in the

thermometer, and so forth, and add up all the heat capacities to give us an overall value that

tell us how much energy is required to heat everything up by 1 degree

Heat capacity describes the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a particular

object, such as a specified calorimeter that is being used repeatedly, by one degree. The

equation defining the heat capacity is:

Amount of heat( j)
Heat capacity=
Temp change( )

Specific Heat capacity describes the amount of energy required to change the temperature of

a unit of mass of that substance by one degree (usually Celsius).

Amount of heat ( j)
Specific h eat capacity=
mass of substance Temp change( )

Amount of heat can be got from the equation below

power ( watts)
Amount of heat ( j)=
time
Procedure

1) Acquire the following components: calorimeter complete with two probe

thermocouple thermometer and wattmeter, balance scale, aluminium foil, water

2) Fabricate a rectangular water container which fits the hotplate of the calorimeter
3) Weigh
4) Affix the thermometer probes . And place the calorimeter lid adjust the heat

control to 10 watts
5) Record

Data

watts delta T Time

(degC) (sec)

19.7 2 58
19.7 2 54
19.7 2 57

Calculations

1.
a mount of heat=19.7 58=1142.6 joules

1142.6
heat capacity= =571.3 joules /
2

0.571 kJ /

2.
a mount of heat=19.7 54=1063.8 joules
1063.8
heat capacity= =531.9 joules/
2

0.532 kJ /
 3.
a mount of heat=19.7 57=1122.9 joules
1122.9
heat capacity= =561.45 joules /
2

0.562 kJ /

Analysis and discussion

Getting the average of the three values got,

0.562+ 0.532+ 0.571

=0.555 kJ /
3

This means that the calorimeter gains 0.555 kJ per every increase in temperature