A student completes an experiment to find the specific heat capacity of aluminum.
She heats up a 2.0 kg block of aluminum using an immersion heater. She measures the temperature rise and calculates the specific heat capacity of the aluminum.
| Attempt | Energy supplied (J\text{J}J) | Temperature rise (∘C^\circ\text{C}∘C) | Specific heat capacity (J/kg ∘C\text{J/kg }^\circ\text{C}J/kg ∘C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4000 | 2.0 | 1000 |
| 2 | 8400 | 4.0 | 1050 |
| 3 | 17600 | 8.0 | 1100 |
a.[2]
Calculate the mean specific heat capacity.
b.[3]
Describe the conclusions that can be drawn from the data.
c.[2]
The actual value for the specific heat capacity of aluminum is 900 J/kg ∘C900\text{ J/kg }^\circ\text{C}900 J/kg ∘C.
Explain why the mean specific heat capacity calculated in (a)(i) is higher than the actual value.
d.[4]
Write down two problems with this experiment and suggest how they could be solved. Use the diagram and results table to help you.