Would Increasing the Mass of Metal Reduce Errors in Specific Heat Calculations?

AI Thread Summary
Increasing the mass of the metal sample could potentially reduce errors in specific heat calculations due to improved heat retention and more accurate temperature measurements. Larger samples may minimize the impact of heat loss to the environment, which is a common source of error in such experiments. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on identifying the specific errors encountered during the lab. Factors such as heat transfer efficiency and measurement accuracy should be considered when determining if a larger mass will yield better results. Ultimately, addressing the root causes of errors is crucial for improving the accuracy of specific heat calculations.
Marcin H
Messages
306
Reaction score
6

Homework Statement


I had a lab where we put 50 grams of a metal smaple into a little bowl and then heated it with steam from a big beaker thing. Anyway, my question is about the errors I got in this lab when finding the specific heat of the metal. I had some high percent errors for Aluminum and Tin. Would my results improve if I used more of the metal? A larger mass of the metal?

Homework Equations


Q=mc(delta t)

The Attempt at a Solution


Have not attempted this.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Depends on the source of errors.

Can you list them and think, which of them can depend on the mass of metal used?
 
Thread 'Confusion regarding a chemical kinetics problem'

Thread 'Confusion regarding a chemical kinetics problem'

TL;DR Summary: cannot find out error in solution proposed. [![question with rate laws][1]][1] Now the rate law for the reaction (i.e reaction rate) can be written as: $$ R= k[N_2O_5] $$ my main question is, WHAT is this reaction equal to? what I mean here is, whether $$k[N_2O_5]= -d[N_2O_5]/dt$$ or is it $$k[N_2O_5]= -1/2 \frac{d}{dt} [N_2O_5] $$ ? The latter seems to be more apt, as the reaction rate must be -1/2 (disappearance rate of N2O5), which adheres to the stoichiometry of the...
View full post »

Similar threads

Oxidation and specific heat capacity
Replies
2
Views
5K
Can I get specific heat without a final temp? (heat of Rxn)
Replies
1
Views
2K
What is the unknown metal? (specific heat problems)
Replies
4
Views
4K
Calorimetry Lab Analysis (predict specific heat of unknown metal)
2
Replies
54
Views
8K
Thermodynamics Final Temperature of Water
Replies
1
Views
2K
Calculate the final temperature of the solution
Replies
5
Views
3K
How do I calculate specific heat capacity in a lab report?
Replies
1
Views
2K
Finding Specific Heat of Unknown Metal
Replies
3
Views
4K
Specific Heat Capacity of a cylinder in boiling water
Replies
5
Views
8K
How do you calculate the specific heat capacity of nickel?
Replies
5
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top