Describe an experiment using only hot and cold water that would allow you to verify that the heat capacity of a coffee-cup calorimeter is about 1.0x10^1 J/oC. Be specific.
To verify the heat capacity of a coffee-cup calorimeter, you can design an experiment using hot and cold water with known temperatures. Here's a step-by-step description:
1. Start by filling the coffee-cup calorimeter with a known mass of cold water. Measure the initial temperature of the cold water using a thermometer.
2. Next, heat a known mass of water to a higher initial temperature. Measure the initial temperature of the hot water using a separate thermometer.
3. Pour the hot water into the coffee-cup calorimeter containing the cold water. Stir gently to ensure uniform temperature distribution.
4. Allow the mixture to reach thermal equilibrium, ensuring that both the hot and cold water have the same final temperature. Measure the final temperature of the mixture using a thermometer.
5. Now, we can use the principle of energy conservation, which states that the heat lost by the hot water is equal to the heat gained by the cold water. Mathematically, this can be expressed as:
(mass of hot water) x (specific heat capacity of hot water) x (change in temperature of hot water) =
(mass of cold water + heat capacity of calorimeter) x (change in temperature of the mixture)
6. Since we know the masses of both the hot and cold water, as well as the change in temperature of the mixture, we can rearrange the equation from step 5 to solve for the heat capacity of the calorimeter.
Heat capacity of calorimeter = ((mass of hot water) x (specific heat capacity of hot water) x
(change in temperature of hot water)) / (change in temperature of the mixture)
- (mass of cold water)
7. Substitute the known values into the equation, including the mass of hot water, specific heat capacity of hot water (which is approximately 4.18 J/g°C), masses of cold water, and change in temperature values.
8. Solve the equation to calculate the heat capacity of the calorimeter.
9. Compare the calculated value of the heat capacity with the given value of 1.0x10^1 J/°C. If the calculated value is close to the given value, it verifies that the heat capacity of the coffee-cup calorimeter is approximately 1.0x10^1 J/°C.
By following this experiment, you can verify the heat capacity of a coffee-cup calorimeter using hot and cold water.