Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Section
Practical: investigate the specific heat capacity of a substance
17 practice questions
Practice questions
1–9 of 9 · Normal
Question 1
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student carries out an experiment to measure the specific heat capacity of a piece of copper metal using the apparatus below.
(a)[1 mark]State the equation used to calculate the energy supplied by the heater.
(b)[3 marks]The student measures the following values: - Mass of copper, - Voltage supplied by heater, - Current through heater, - Heating time, - Initial temperature, - Final temperature, Calculate the specific heat capacity of copper found by the experiment.
Question 2
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student wants to find the specific heat capacity of water using an electric immersion heater.
(a)[2 marks]Describe how the student could carry out this experiment. You may refer to apparatus, measurements, and calculations. List at least three key steps.
(b)[1 mark]State one precaution the student should take to improve the accuracy of the result.
(c)[1 mark]Explain why a lid is used on the beaker during the experiment.
Question 3
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student takes repeated readings of temperature change in a metal block when it is heated for different lengths of time using a heater. The mass of the block is 0.4 kg.
Results from the experiment Heating time (s) Temperature rise (°C) 100 5.0 200 10.2 300 15.0 400 20.1 The heater supplies a constant power of 30 W throughout the experiment.
(a)[2 marks]Plot a graph of temperature rise (y-axis) against heating time (x-axis) for this data. Draw a best-fit line.
(b)[1 mark]Use your graph or the data to find the temperature rise after 250 seconds.
(c)[1 mark]Calculate the specific heat capacity of the metal block using your value from (b).
Question 4
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →In a school experiment to measure the specific heat capacity of a metal, the calculated value is much higher than the manufacturer's value for that metal.
(a)[2 marks]Suggest two reasons why the result might be higher than expected.
(b)[2 marks]For each reason, explain how it affects the experiment.
Question 5
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student is investigating the specific heat capacity of a 0.40 kg block of lead. The block is heated using an immersion heater connected to a power supply as shown. The voltage across the heater is 15 V and the current is 2.0 A. The heater is switched on for 300 seconds.
(a)[2 marks]Calculate the total thermal energy supplied to the block by the heater.
(b)[2 marks]The temperature of the block increases by 25 °C during the experiment. Calculate the specific heat capacity of lead. Give your answer in J/kg °C.
Question 6
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Figure 1 shows a diagram of apparatus used for a specific heat capacity experiment.
Apparatus for measuring specific heat capacity (a)[2 marks]State two measurements that must be taken during this experiment, other than temperature.
(b)[1 mark]Explain why the metal block is often surrounded by insulating material in this type of experiment.
Question 7
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student records the following data in a specific heat capacity experiment on a 0.30 kg block of material:
Experimental data Quantity Reading Initial temperature / °C 18 Final temperature / °C 34 Voltage / V 12 Current / A 3.5 Time / s 200 (a)[1 mark]Calculate the change in temperature of the block.
(b)[2 marks]Calculate the energy supplied by the heater.
(c)[1 mark]Use your answers to calculate the specific heat capacity of the material.
Question 8
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student is recording temperature readings during a specific heat capacity experiment and finds that the measured specific heat capacity is much lower than the accepted value for the material.
State and explain two possible experimental errors that could cause the measured value to be too low.
Question 9
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Describe a method that a student could use to find the specific heat capacity of water using an electric heater. Include the main steps and measurements the student would need to make.