Question

Explain the procedure of finding specific heat of solid experimentally.

Answer 1

In an isolated system, the sum of the heat lost by some substance will always be equal to the sum of the heat gained by other substances in the system. Important materials are calorimeter, water, thermometer, stirrer and of course, the solid.

Complete step by step answer:
Aim: To determine the specific heat capacity of a solid.
Apparatus – calorimeter, thermometer, water, and the solid.
Procedure – pour a certain amount of water into a calorimeter with both at room temperature. Enclose the calorimeter with wool, wooden box or other poor conductors of heat to reduce heat loss.
Now measure an amount of the solid (by mass) and heat it over a Bunsen burner. Measure the temperature of the heated solid.
Place the heated solid into the water in the calorimeter and stir the water with a stirrer. While stirring, place a thermometer into the mixture to read the temperature. Keep stirring the water until the temperature of the water no longer changes. This is the final temperature of the mixture.
Now with a known final temperature of mixture, the specific heat capacity of water, heat capacity of that of the calorimeter and the stirrer. We can calculate the specific heat of the solid from the knowledge that if heat lost to surrounding is negligible, then the heat lost by the solid is equal to the heat gained by the water plus the calorimeter plus the stirrer. We simply make the specific heat of the solid subject from the resulting equation.

Note:
Alternatively, we can heat the water and calorimeter to a certain temperature and keep put in the solid at room temperature. This time the heat lost will simply be by the water and calorimeter while heat gained will be by the solid.