Specific Heat Capacity
Q1.
A student used the apparatus in Figure 1 to compare the energy needed to heat blocks of different materials.
Each block had the same mass.
Each block had holes for the thermometer and the immersion heater.
Each block had a starting temperature of 20 °C.
Figure 1
 
The student measured the time taken to increase the temperature of each material by 5 °C.
(a)     (i)      State two variables the student controlled.
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
(2)
Figure 2 shows the student’s results.
Figure 2
 
                          Material
(ii)     Why was a bar chart drawn rather than a line graph?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(iii)    Which material was supplied with the most energy?
______________________________________________________________
Give the reason for your answer.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(2)
(iv)    The iron block had a mass of 2 kg.
Calculate the energy transferred by the heater to increase the temperature of the iron block by 5 °C.
The specific heat capacity of iron is 450 J / kg °C.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Energy transferred = ______________________________ J
(2)
(b)     The student used the same apparatus to heat a 1 kg block of aluminium.
He recorded the temperature of the block as it was heated from room temperature.
The results are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3
 
                            Time the immersion heater is switched on for in minutes
(i)      One of the student’s results is anomalous.
Draw a ring around the anomalous result.
(1)
(ii)     Draw the line of best fit for the points plotted in Figure 3.
(1)
(iii)    What was the temperature of the room?
Temperature = _______________ °C
(1)
(iv)     What was the interval of the time values used by the student?
Interval = _______________ minutes
(1)
(Total 11 marks)