Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The specific heat capacity of a solid is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of that solid by 1 degree Celsius.
In this video I demonstrate a simple experiment to determine the specific heat capacity of water, using a simple electric heater.
The value obtained is much greater that the actual value: This will always generally be the case, as much of the heat that is added to the water is lost to the surroundings.
Points to consider:
What steps were taken to reduce heat loss?
How could the experiment be improved to further reduce heat loss?
The specific heat capacity of a solid is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of that solid by 1 degree Celsius.
In this video I demonstrate a simple experiment to determine the specific heat capacity of water, using a simple electric heater.
The value obtained is much greater that the actual value: This will always generally be the case, as much of the heat that is added to the water is lost to the surroundings.
Points to consider:
What steps were taken to reduce heat loss?
How could the experiment be improved to further reduce heat loss?
