MECHANICAL EQUIVALENT TO HEAT LAB

Background

Mechanical energy can be converted into heat, and heat can be converted into mechanical energy. This relationship is known as the mechanical equivalent to heat and it is an important concept fundamental to thermodynamics which applies ideas related to heat and work to create useful systems (i.e. power plants, engines, refrigerators ...). The mechanical equivalent to heat phenomena was first tested by James Joule in 1843.In his experiment, he used the change in potential energy of a falling mass to stir water. As the water was stirred, the temperature of the water increased just like it was placed over a flame. This proved that the work done on a system (the falling mass) can be equated to an increase in water temperature (heat energy).

Purposes

• To determine the correlation between the height the mass falls and the change in temperature of the water.
• To determine the correlation between the mass that falls and the change in temperature of the water.
• To determine the specific heat of the water in the container.

Materials

• You will be running a simulation of the same kind of lab setup that James Joules used in the 19th century. This simulation can be found here.

-----------------------------------------------------------1 Inca-u:- CH]: TEMPERATURE 12.80 \"C CONNECTED SCIENCE SYSTEM \"NH :4 n mad U. L When you are ready to start collecting data, click on the start button to have the mass move toward the out The mass will fall with a constant Speed because of 3 the drag from the paddles moving Through the water is balanced with the force gravity on the mass. 2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II \fWork (done by falling mass) = Heat (gained by water )\fWork C = Mwater AT