Activity 1 - PhET - Energy Forms & Changes Virtual Lab-MORADO, NANETTE

School: Sta.
Maria Integrated School
Energy Forms & Changes Virtual Lab
Introduction: You will use the PhET simulation Energy

Forms & Changes to predict, experiment, discover and
interpret the meaning of the material property known as
Specific Heat Capacity.
Warm-Up:
1. Describe what the following terms mean
Temperature - is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.

When temperature increases, the motion of these particles also increases. It's not a
terrible definition, but it's not the best either. ... The temperature is related to the average kinetic
energy—not the total kinetic energy.
Heat -heat seen as a form of energy arising from the random motion of the molecules of bodies, which may
be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation.
2. Using your definition for temperature above, explain how a thermometer works to provide a visual
representation of the temperature.
A thermometer measures temperature through a glass tube sealed with mercury that expands
or contracts as the temperature rises or falls. ... As temperatures rise, the mercury-filled bulb
expands into the capillary tube. Its rate of expansion is calibrated on the glass scale.
3. Thermometers in the past were filled with mercury but most are now filled with alcohol instead due
to safety reasons. Why do you think alcohol is used instead or water?
Most thermometers would use mercury, but some use because of its freezing
points. Alcohol freezes at -114 Celsius, while water freezes at 0 Celsius. If it was
freezing outside, the water would freeze too, making the thermometer useless.
The reason we use alcohol instead of water is that alcohol has a lower freezing point (-114°C) than
water (0°C).
Also, alcohol doesn't condensate on the top unlike water, which makes the reading of the
thermometer easier to read.
4. The simulator allows you to add the same amount of heat energy to different materials e.g. water, oil, iron,
brick. If you are able to measure the temperature of these materials as you are heating them would you predict
that each will have the same temperature changes? Explain.
I can predict that different materials has different thermal energy level, or a specific
material has specific heat capacity
Experiment:
5. Position the Iron block on one of the ring stands and move a thermometer to the block to measure
the temperature of it. Then click the Energy Symbols tab and begin increasing the heat under the
iron. Describe what you observe.
As I put the block of iron on the ring and increase the heat under the iron, the energy level
increases as the temperature increases.
6. Predict what you would see if you are able to measure the temperature of the Iron block and Brick
block as you supply the same amount of heat to each block.
Maybe the temperature of the brick block will increase faster than the block of iron.
7. Click the reset button, then drag the iron block on one stand and the brick block on the second stand.
Again, put a thermometer in both blocks to measure the temperature of each. Click the Energy
Symbols and Link Heaters tabs. Before adding any heat to the blocks, observe any differences in the
blocks and provide a reason for this.
The block of iron has higher energy level than the brick block, as I apply heat to the two blocks (iron
and the brick) I observed that the block of brick heats faster because the thermometer rise faster under
the block of brick than the block of iron.
Observation & Analysis:
8. Increase the temperature on the blocks and observe the thermometers and record observations.
As we increase the temperature on the blocks I observe that the thermometer also rises.
9. Repeat the comparison done with the blocks above, this time comparing the two liquids. Record your
observations.
Water has higher thermal energy level than the olive oil before increasing heat, but the temperature of
the olive oil increases faster as the heat increases.
10. Repeat again this time comparing water and iron. Records your results.
The thermal Energy level of the water is higher than the block of wood.
11. What does your experiment tell you about water?

The experiment imply that water has higher specific heat capacity.
Discussion:
Specific Heat Capacity is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance per
unit of mass e.g. 1 g. It is essentially a property of a material that describes its ability to store heat.
Different materials have different specific heat capacities.
12. Conduct research to find the specific heat capacity of water 4190 and iron 470.
13. Based on your observations & analysis from above explain what you would expect to see when you
research the Specific Heat Capacity value for copper.
I think copper has lower heat capacity than water and iron because it will heat faster than water and
iron.
14. The specific heat capacity of copper is 385 J/kg°C. This means that it takes 385 J to raise
the temperature of 1 kg of copper by 1°C.
15. Clay bricks are used as building materials in construction. Do some research on specific heat
capacities of brick, concrete, stone etc. and advise on what this means for society.
Stone has 1000 J/kg°C, brick 800 J/kg°C and concrete has 100 J/kg°C. solids such as clay bricks
or ceramic materials are preferred, as they do not leak or corrode their containers,
although their lower specific heat capacity means that they have to be raised to a very high
temperature to supply useful heating over several hours.
Extend:
16. An igloo, or snow hut, is a type of shelter built out of

snow traditionally used only by the people of Canada's
Central Arctic and Greenland's Thule area. Conduct
research to find the specific heat capacity values of the
materials that igloos are built from. Then explain whether
these are an efficient choice for design of a home in
colder climates.
A Iglo has an efficient choice for designing a shelter in
a cold climate, Because ice's thermal conductivity is
low, like the thermal conductivity of air, an igloo works
by stopping heat being transferred into the
surroundings, even when the temperature is really low. The ice and the still, unmoving air both act
as highly effective insulators.

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School: Sta.

Maria Integrated School

Energy Forms & Changes Virtual Lab

Introduction: You will use the PhET simulation Energy

1. Describe what the following terms mean

Temperature - is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.

Observation & Analysis:

11. What does your experiment tell you about water?

16. An igloo, or snow hut, is a type of shelter built out of

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