EnergyRequired Practical
REQUIRED PRACTICAL: Measuring Specific Heat Capacity
Part of Specific Heat Capacity — GCSE Physics
This required practical covers REQUIRED PRACTICAL: Measuring Specific Heat Capacity within Specific Heat Capacity for GCSE Physics. Revise Specific Heat Capacity in Energy for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 13 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 7 of 15 in this topic. Revise both the method and the reason for each step, because practical questions often test understanding rather than pure recall.
Topic position
Section 7 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
13 flashcards
🔬 REQUIRED PRACTICAL: Measuring Specific Heat Capacity
Equipment needed:
- Metal block with two holes (one for heater, one for thermometer)
- Immersion heater connected to power supply
- Thermometer (or temperature probe)
- Joulemeter OR ammeter + voltmeter + stopwatch
- Balance to measure mass
- Insulation (cotton wool/bubble wrap)
Method:
- Measure and record the mass of the metal block (m)
- Insert immersion heater and thermometer into holes
- Add a drop of oil to thermometer hole for better thermal contact
- Record starting temperature (θ₁)
- Switch on heater and start recording energy (or start timer)
- Heat for a set time (e.g., 10 minutes)
- Record final temperature (θ₂) and total energy transferred (ΔE)
- Calculate: c = ΔE ÷ (m × Δθ)
If using P = IV instead of joulemeter:
- Measure current (I) and voltage (V)
- Calculate power: P = I × V
- Calculate energy: ΔE = P × t (where t is time in seconds)