Specific Heat Lab Report

6. Source of Errors For both procedures, there might have been errors in measurement of temperatures. Different thermometers might read different temperatures. Possible way to reduce this error is to use the best and most accurate thermometer or do several measurements and calculate the average. Stirring Error We were supposed to mix the mixture to spread the temperature evenly. Stirring insufficiently will create an uneven mixture. To reduce this error, one will have to stir efficiently and sufficiently to have a uniform mixture.

7. The precision of the latent heat experiment is improved by using hot water instead of room temperature temperature water because latent heat is the energy required to change a phase. Room temperature is sort of in the medium of temperature. Boiling water has the closer temperature to a phase change. We know that when water starts to boil, it is changing to gas. Therefore, using liquid liquid at the temperature closest to a certain phase will yield more accurate results. Questions: 1. You burn your tongue on hot cheese and not on the crust because cheese specific specific heat is lower and will therefore get hotter faster. The crust has a higher capacity to absorb heat, so even though they are exposed to the same temperature the cheese will be hotter. 2. The boiling water will give a more severe burn because it is more isolated from the outside environment. When the steam leaves the pot, it is exposed to the outside environment and some of the heat will go into the environment reducing the temperature of the steam. Therefore the steam temperature temperature is actually lower than the boiling water and will cause a less severe burn.