Before completing the "Specific Heat Capacity" Lab below, watch the following video:youtu.be/UtWidhg9dxs?hd=1
Questions:

• What were your results for each test you ran in the "Specific Heat Capacity" simulation?
• What changed in each test you ran?
• If you had Unknown A and Unknown B, and you had the mass you added to the heat, the heat energy that was produced, the initial temperature and the final temperature, could you determine what materials you had? Explain your answer.

Click the following link to go to the "Specific Heat Capacity" Simulation: ​http://employees.oneonta.edu/viningwj/sims/specific_heat_s.html

Specific Heat Capacity (C) is the amount of energy that it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of a specific substance by one degree Celsius and substances have a different specific heat capacity. Check out the following video to learn how specific heat can be used in a calculation: youtu.be/5Rhw18MK5v4

The specific heat equation can be used to determine the specific heat of a substance, or identify a substance based on its specific heat capacity because each substance has a different heat capacity. 

• C= q/(mΔT)
  • This is just a reorganization of the equation we already know:  q = mCΔT
  • Example:  A 75 gram sample of silver absorbs 0.625 kJ of heat, which raises its temperature by 27 degrees Celsius.  What is the specific heat of silver in J/g-⁰C?
    • Step 1: Convert 0.625 kJ to J
      • 0.625 x 1000 = 625 J
    • Step 2: Plug in your numbers and solve.
      • C =q/m∆T=(625 J)/(75 g x 27˚C) = 0.3086 J/g ˚C

Knowing the specific heat capacity is crucial. For example,

• it is used in internal combustion engines. The transfer of heat is vital to keeping these cool.
• it is used when creating utensils. You want your pots and pans to get hot fast.
• it is used for space equipment. Heat dissipation is very important for delicate instruments in space.

One way to find the specific heat of a substance is through calorimetry. Check out the following video: youtu.be/uv7sVIqgyqU

If you need some additional practice with solving for specific heat, check out the following two sources:

• ​www.algebralab.org/practice/practice.aspx?file=Algebra_SpecificHeatCapacity.xml​