Define water equivalent of a calorimeter. State its SI unit.
The water equivalent of a calorimeter is the amount of water that would be required to absorb the same amount of heat as the calorimeter itself when both are subjected to the same temperature change.
To determine the water equivalent of a calorimeter, you can follow these steps:
1. Measure the mass of the empty calorimeter.
2. Fill the calorimeter with a known mass of water.
3. Heat the water and measure the temperature change.
4. Calculate the heat absorbed by the water using the formula Q = m * c * ΔT, where Q is the heat, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity of water, and ΔT is the change in temperature.
5. Measure the temperature change of the empty calorimeter when heated.
6. Calculate the heat absorbed by the calorimeter using the same formula as in step 4.
7. Divide the heat absorbed by the calorimeter by the heat absorbed by the water to obtain the water equivalent.
The SI unit of the water equivalent of a calorimeter is kilograms (kg).