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Re: [Phys-l] good specific heat materials



Brian Blais wrote:
Hello,

I want to cover the topic of specific heat, and latent heat, with my students in a lab setting. Are there any good, cheap, and available materials that anyone has used and would recommend? Water is the obvious standard, but perhaps anti-freeze, or some other materials would be interesting as well.


thanks,

Brian Blais

It seems to me that this topic can provide satisfying insight into ratios
and material properties. Styrofoam cups and lids, cheap thermocouple digital meters, accessible digital scales, and aluminum, copper and lead/antimony samples for a decent range of specific heat capacities and finally, electric kettles for heating water are all both available and inexpensive. True, the lead content of wheel weights is a negative - perhaps an injunction that they are to be handled with forceps might help? Start with weighing and mixing aliquots of water at different temperatures, to fix the idea of ratios? Suited for junior high on up, I'd think...

Brian W