Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] heat labs?



Thermochemistry </cgi-bin/redir.pl?url=http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/Thermochem/Thermochem.html&handle=1020069412-5693>
This introduction to thermochemistry covers the time-temperature graph; specific heat; molar heat of vaporisation; molar heat of fusion; energy, work, heat and temperature; enthalpy; standard enthalpy of formation; and Hess's Law of constant heat summation. The site includes problems and an *experiment*, and is aimed at high school students.

http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/Thermochem/Thermochem.html

Pat



Ludwik Kowalski wrote:
On Aug 24, 2007, at 2:19 PM, Anthony Lapinski wrote:

As our school year begins, I am looking for a good lab to do for my HEAT
topic. I teach physics in HIGH SCHOOL, and all of my labs are LOW TECH.
I've had some difficulty finding good labs to perform that are different
from the ones typically done in chemistry:

heat ice to boiling, then make a phase diagram
determine the specific heat of a metal

I don't want the labs to be too easy, like mixing hot/cold water and
predict final temperature.

I have tried the burning food lab, where you burn a peanut under a beaker
of water to determine the energy (calorie) content of various foods, then
compare it to the nutrition label on package. Interesting consumer
physics, but very messy and the results are poor due to all the heat loss.

I read an experiment somewhere (source?) about an immersion heater placed
in water. This deals with the conversion of electric energy to heat
energy. This might work, but I teach heat before electricity. Has anyone
ever tried this lab? Do students like it, and are the results good?

Are there any other types of heat lab activities (quantitative or
qualitative) appropriate for this age level.? I would appreciate any
suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Suppose a metallic cup contains 250 cc of water. The initial temperature is 95 C. Students measure temperature every 5 minutes and calculate the remaining amount of thermal energy in water. That will give the rates at which thermal energy is lost by water. Then ask them to repeat the experiment after the cup is surrounded by a layer of styrofoam tape. Or use a simple two-cup calorimeter, first without and then with the outer cup. How is the rate of energy loss affected by a layer of insulation? Add something more challenging, if this is too simple. For example, measuring gradient of water temperature; I expect it to be measurably lower in the second case.
_______________________________________________________
Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physicist
5 Horizon Road, apt. 2702, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA
Also an amateur journalist at http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/

_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


--
Patricia T. Viele, Physics & Astronomy Librarian
Edna McConnell Clark Physical Sciences Library
Clark Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-2501
Voice: 607-255-0067
FAX: 607-255-5288
email: ptv1@cornell.edu