Expt.

# 10
13: Heat Capacity of Solids
Aim: a) To determine specific heat capacity of different metals
b) To estimate molar heat capacity of those metals and hence to verify Dulong-Petit law
Definitions and Laws:
a) Heat capacity: If a body exchange Δ𝑄 amount of heat with its surroundings and its temperature change by Δ𝑇
then its heat capacity is defined as 𝐶 = Δ𝑄/Δ𝑇 . Heat capacity is proportional to the mass of the body and it is
an extensive thermodynamic quantity.
b) Specific heat capacity: Specific heat capacity is defined as heat capacity per unit mass, 𝑐 = 𝐶/𝑚, 𝑚 being total
mass of the body. It is an intensive thermodynamic quantity.
c) Molar heat capacity: Molar heat capacity (𝑐𝑀 ) is defined as heat capacity per unit mole of a body (𝑐𝑀 =
specific heat capacity × molar mass).
d) Dulong-Petit law: Molar heat capacity of a solid substance is a constant, which means, it is same for all
substance irrespective of the nature of the substance. The value of the constant is nearly 24.94 J/mol°C. Later on
theoretical consideration (kinetic theory of gas and equipartition theorem) showed that the constant is 3𝑅,
where 𝑅 is the universal gas constant.
Principle of experiment: Known mass (𝑚1 ) of the experimental substance is heated to a known temperature (𝑇1 ). It is
then put into a known mass (𝑚𝑤 ) of water kept in a calorimeter (Do you know what a calorimeter is? If not, read about
it yourself or ask your teacher.) at a known temperature (𝑇𝑤 ). Heat exchange takes place between the water and
calorimeter and experimental object and they together come to an equilibrium temperature (𝑇𝑒 ) which is measured
experimentally. Using the condition that heat lost by the experimental object is equal to the heat absorbed by the water
and calorimeter, one can easily derive (Do derive it yourself!) the formula for the specific heat capacity of the
experimental object as
(𝐶 + 𝑐𝑤 𝑚𝑤 ). (𝑇𝑒 − 𝑇𝑤 )
𝑐= (1)
𝑚1 . (𝑇1 − 𝑇𝑒 )
where 𝐶 = heat capacity of the calorimeter (supplied to be 80 J/°C)
and 𝑐𝑤 = specific heat capacity of water, known to be 4.19 J/g°C.

A – calorimeter, B – thermometer
F
C – glass rod, D – heater
E – water boiling container
F – stand
B

Figure 1: Photograph of
the experimental setup
E
C

B D

IISER-K Bipul Pal <[email protected]> Last update: 01.10.2012

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Procedure of experiment:
A. Preparing known mass of experimental body to a known temperature
1. In this experiment you will determine specific heat capacity and molar heat capacity of 3 different metals. You
will be supplied with 3 blocks of each metal.
2. 3 blocks of a given metal will be tied together with a nylon thread, in a manner that you can hang them together
from a supporting stand. If they are not tied in this manner, then do it yourself.
3. Weigh the tied blocks for all the 3 metals using a digital balance (You should learn the working principle of a
digital balance!) and record the reading in tabular form. Digital balance should show zero reading when no
weight is put on it. If empty balance is not showing zero, press the tare/zero button. It should then show zero.
4. Now you will heat the metal blocks to a known temperature by dipping them in the boiling water.
5. For this, fill up to 3 quarters of the water boiling metal container with tap water and place the container on a
heater/ gas burner for heating.
6. Hang all 3 types of metal blocks from a stand in to the water in the container which is kept on the heater. Ensure
that metal blocks do not touch the metal container body.
7. Turn on the heater/ gas burner and start heating the water (with metal blocks hanging in it). You have to heat
the water to boiling and continue heating.
B. Preparing calorimeter with a known mass of water at known temperature
1. While metal blocks (dipped in water) are being heated, you have to weigh about 200 g of room temperature
water (tap water) in the calorimeter.
2. For this, put the empty calorimeter on the digital balance and press the tare/zero button. Now, the digital
balance should show zero reading with the empty calorimeter on it.
3. Slowly pour room temperature tap water from a beaker in to the calorimeter placed on the digital balance. You
may use a dropper, if necessary. Water should not drop on the balance!
4. Measure about 200 g of water in the calorimeter and note it down in your lab book in tabular form as 𝑚𝑤 . Put a
glass rod in calorimeter water for stirring.
5. Put a thermometer, range −10°C to 110°C, in the calorimeter water. Wait for 1 minute and then read the
temperature shown by the thermometer. Note it in tabular form as 𝑇𝑤 in your lab book. Keep the thermometer
in the calorimeter. What is the working principle of the thermometer you are using?
C. Mixing hot metal block to water in calorimeter
1. Put a thermometer, range −10°C to 110°C, in the water boiling container where metal blocks were heated up in
the boiling water. Wait for 1 minute and then read the temperature shown by the thermometer. Note it in
tabular form as 𝑇1 in your lab book. Do you find 𝑻𝟏 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎°C? If not, do you have an explanation for this?
Remove the thermometer and keep it aside safely.
2. Take one type of metal blocks out of the boiling water and quickly put them into the water in the calorimeter.
Ensure that all the blocks are completely inside water.
3. Stir vigorously with glass rod for 1 minute. Be careful to not to break the glass thermometer which was already
there in the calorimeter. Read the temperature shown by the thermometer. Note it in tabular form as 𝑇𝑒 in your
lab book. Put back the metal blocks in the boiling water.
4. Key assumption made in this experiment is that heat is exchanged only between the water + calorimeter and
metal blocks. Can you justify it? What about radiation loss to the environment?

Repeat this procedure for other type of metals. Keep the following points in mind.

IISER-K Bipul Pal <[email protected]> Last update: 01.10.2012

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 1. The calorimeter and water in it should be at room temperature. For this, discard water from calorimeter from
the previous experiment. Wash the calorimeter 2-3 times with room temperature water from tap. Then dry the
calorimeter by wiping it with a dry cloth or tissue paper.
2. Measure again about 200 g of room temperature (tap) water and put it in the calorimeter.
3. All the temperatures (𝑇1 , 𝑇𝑤 , and 𝑇𝑒 ) should be measured for experiment with each metals.
4. Pour additional amount of water in the water boiling container if required. Then wait for water to start boiling.
5. After completing one set of measurements with 3 different metals, repeat the cycle of
measurements two more times.
Calculation:
Use average values of 𝑚1 , 𝑚𝑤 , 𝑇𝑤 , 𝑇1 , and 𝑇𝑒 in Eq. (1) to calculate specific heat capacity. Do it for all 3 supplied metals
and present the result in tabulated form. Also calculate molar heat capacity in the same table.
Results: (example tabulation)
Specific heat capacity (J/g°C) Molar mass Molar heat capacity (J/mol°C)
Metal
Measured value Literature value (g/mol) [measured value]
Iron 0.452 55.85
Brass 0.385 64.28**
Aluminum 0.896 26.98
** Brass is an alloy and its molar mass depends on composition. Here we have taken 3:2 weight ratio of copper and zinc
as the composition.
Error analysis: Maximum possible relative error in 𝑐 as calculated from Eq. (1) can be written as
𝛿𝑐 𝛿𝑚𝑤 𝛿𝑚1 𝛿𝑇𝑒 + 𝛿𝑇𝑤 𝛿𝑇1 + 𝛿𝑇𝑒
= + + +
𝑐 𝑚𝑤 𝑚1 𝑇𝑒 − 𝑇𝑤 𝑇1 − 𝑇𝑒
where 𝛿𝑚𝑤 , 𝛿𝑚1 , 𝛿𝑇1 , 𝛿𝑇𝑤 and 𝛿𝑇𝑒 are maximum possible error in 𝑚𝑤 , 𝑚1 , 𝑇1 , 𝑇𝑤 and 𝑇𝑒 .

You must calculate maximum possible relative error in estimate of specific heat capacity. You should also write some
discussion on your measurement in the lab book.

IISER-K Bipul Pal <[email protected]> Last update: 01.10.2012

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