Grade 10 – Physics –Calorimetry

Definitions:
Heat Energy: The total internal energy of molecules of a substance is called its heat energy.
Heat: Heat is the internal energy of molecules constituting the body. It flows from a hot body to a cold
body when they are kept in contact.
Calorie: One calorie is the quantity of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water
through 1°C.
Kilo calorie: One kilocalorie is the heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water from
14.5°C to 15.5°C.
Temperature: Temperature is a parameter which tells the thermal state of a body (i.e., the degree of
hotness or coldness of body). It determines the direction of flow of heat when two bodies at different
temperatures are placed in contact.
Heat Capacity: The heat capacity of a body is the amount of heat energy required to raise its temperature
by 1°C (or 1 K).
Specific Heat Capacity: The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of heat energy required to
raise the temperature of unit mass of that substance through 1°C (or 1 K).
Melting: The change from solid to liquid phase by the absorption of heat at a constant temperature is
called melting.
Melting Point: The constant temperature at which a solid changes to liquid is called the melting point of
the solid.
Vaporisation: The change from liquid to gas (or vapour) phase on absorption of heat at a constant
temperature, is called vaporisation.
Boiling Point: The particular temperature at which vaporisation occurs is called the boiling point of liquid.
Specific Latent Heat: Specific latent heat of a phase is the quantity of heat energy absorbed (or liberated)
by the unit mass of the substance for the change in its phase at a constant temperature.

Important Points To Remember:

1. Concept Of Heat
A hot body has more internal energy than an identical cold body. When a hot body is kept in contact with a
cold body, the cold body warms up, while the hot body cools down. i.e., the internal energy of the cold
body increases, while that of the hot body decreases. Thus, there is a flow of internal energy from the hot
body to the cold body when they are kept in contact. The energy which flows from the hot body to the cold
body is called heat energy or simply heat.
The measurement of the quantity of heat is called calorimetry.
Units Of Heat
The SI unit of heat is joule (J). The other most commonly used unit of heat is calorie (cal).
The heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water through 1°C is known as calorie.
The unit calorie is related to the SI unit joule as follows:
1 calorie (or 1 cal) = 4·186 J or 4·2 J
Bigger Unit: 1-kilo calorie = 1000 calorie = 4200 J, is generally used for measuring the energy value of
food.
2. Concept Of Temperature
▪ On keeping a hot body in contact with a cold body, heat flows from the hot body to the cold body
due to which the hot body gets cooled, while the cold body gets warmed.
▪ The body which imparts heat is said to be at a higher temperature than the body which receives
heat. Thus, temperature determines the direction of flow of heat.

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 ▪ When a body receives heat energy, the particles constituting the body start vibrating more
vigorously and so its temperature rises provided its physical state or dimensions remain
unchanged.
Unit Of Temperature:

▪ The S.I. unit of temperature is kelvin (symbol K). The other most common unit of temperature
is degree celsius (symbol °C). They are related as : TK= 273 + t0C
▪ a degree (or temperature difference) is same on both the celsius and kelvin scales i.e.,
∆t °C = ∆T K

3. Factors affecting the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a body

The quantity of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a body depends on three factors:

i. Mass of the body

ii. The increase in temperature of the body
iii. The material or substance of the body
Few observations through experiments
i. The amount of heat energy required is found to be directly proportional to the mass of the
substance. i.e., Q ∝ m
ii. The amount of heat energy required is found to be directly proportional to the rise in
temperature. Q ∝ ∆𝒕
iii. the amount of heat energy absorbed depends on the substance of the object which is
expressed in terms of its specific heat capacity c.
From the above observations i. and ii, Q ∝ m, Q ∝ ∆𝑡

Therefore, Q = cm∆𝑡 where c is the constant of proportionality and is called the specific heat capacity
of the substance. It is the characteristic of the substance.

3. Difference Between Heat And Temperature

Heat Temperature
1. Heat is a form of internal energy obtained due 1. Temperature is a quantity which determines
to random motion and attractive force of the direction of flow of heat on keeping the two
molecules in a substance. bodies at different temperatures in contact.
2. The S.I. unit of heat is joule (J). 2. The S.I. unit of temperature is kelvin (K).
3. The amount of heat contained in a body 3. The temperature of a body depends on the
depends on average kinetic energy of its molecules due to
mass, temperature and substance of the body. their random motion.

4. Heat is measured by the principle of 4. Temperature is measured by a thermometer.

calorimetry.
5. Two bodies having the same quantity of heat 5. Two bodies at the same temperature may
may differ in their temperature. differ in the quantities of heat contained in them.

6. When two bodies are placed in contact, the 6. When two bodies at different temperatures are
total amount of heat is equal to the sum of the placed in contact, the resultant temperature is a
heat of the individual body. the temperature in between the two
temperatures.

4. Heat Capacity
▪ The heat capacity of a body is the amount of heat energy required to raise its temperature by 1°C
or 1 K. It is denoted by the symbol C′.

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 𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑
C’ =
𝑅𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
▪ The SI unit of heat capacity is joule per Kelvin (or J K−1).
▪ It is also written as joule per degree C (or J °C−1).
▪ The other common units of heat capacity are calorie °C−1 (or cal K−1) and kilo-calorie °C−1 (or kilo-
calorie K−1).
5. Specific Heat Capacity
▪ The specific heat capacity of a substance (or a body) is defined as the heat capacity per unit mass of
that body.
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑐′
▪ Specific heat capacity c =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑚
▪ The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of heat energy required to raise the
temperature of a unit mass of that substance through 1°C (or 1 K).
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑
▪ Specific heat capacity c =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑥 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
∆𝑄
c=
𝑚 ∆𝑇
▪ The SI unit of specific heat capacity is joule per kilogram per Kelvin (or J kg−1 K−1) or joule per
kilogram per degree Celsius (or J kg−1C−1).

6. Distinction Between The Heat Capacity And Specific Heat Capacity

Heat Capacity Specific Heat Capacity
1. It is the amount of heat energy required to 1. It is the amount of heat energy required to
raise the temperature of the entire body by 1°C. raise the temperature of unit mass of the body by
1°C.

2. It depends both on the substance and mass of 2. It does not depend on the mass of the body,
the body. The more the mass of the body, the but it is the characteristic property of the
more is its heat capacity. substance of the body.

𝑸 3. Specific heat capacity c =heat capacity C’/mass

3. Heat Capacity = C’ = = mass x specific heat
∆𝒕
m
capacity
4. Its unit is J K-1. 4. Its unit is J kg-1 K-1.

7. Calorimeter
A calorimeter is a cylindrical vessel which is used to measure the amount of
heat gained or lost by a body when it is mixed with another body.

It is made up of thin copper sheets because

i. Copper is a good conductor of heat, so the vessel soon acquires the
temperature of its contents.
ii. Copper has low specific heat capacity, so the heat capacity of the
calorimeter is low and the amount of heat energy taken by the
calorimeter from its contents to acquire the temperature of its
contents is negligible.

8. Principle Of Calorimetry
▪ When a hot body is mixed (or is kept in contact) with a cold body, heat energy passes from the hot
body to the cold body, till both bodies attain the same temperature.
▪ If no heat energy is exchanged with the surroundings, i.e. if the system is fully insulated, then
Heat energy lost by the hot body = heat energy gained by the cold body
▪ This is called the principle of mixtures or the principle of calorimetry.

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9. Natural Phenomena And Consequences Of High Specific Capacity Of Water
(1) The climate near the seashore is moderate.
(2) Hot water bottles are used for fomentation.
(3) Water is used as an effective coolant.
(4) In cold countries, water is used as a heat reservoir for wine and juice bottles to avoid their freezing.
(5) Farmers fill their fields with water to protect the crops from frost.
(6) All plants and animals have a high content of water in their bodies

10. Change Of Phase

There are three states (or phases) of matter namely solid,

liquid, and gas. The same matter can exist in all three
phases under different conditions of temperature and
pressure. For example, ice (solid) when heated becomes
water (liquid), which on further heating changes to steam
(gas). Thus, at one atmospheric pressure, water is found in
all three phases at different temperatures.

The process of change from one state to another at a constant temperature is called the change of phase.
It is brought about by the exchange of heat.

▪ The change from solid to liquid phase is known as melting, while the reverse change from liquid to
solid is called freezing.
▪ The change from liquid to vapour is known as vaporization, while the reverse change from gas (or
vapour) to liquid is called condensation (or liquefaction).
▪ The direct change from solid to vapour is called sublimation and the reverse change from vapour to
solid is called solidification.
11. Natural Consequences Of High Specific Latent Heat Of Fusion Of Ice

(1) Snow on mountains does not melt all at once

(2) In cold countries water in lakes and ponds does not freeze all at once.
(3) Drinks get cooled more quickly by adding pieces of ice than the ice-cold water.
(4) When ice in a frozen lake starts melting, its surroundings become very cold.
(5) It is generally colder after a hail-storm (when ice melts) than during or before the hail-storm

Important Formulae:
(i) TK= 273 + t0C
(ii) Amount of heat required, Q = cm∆𝑡
(iii) C’ = (Amount of heat energy supplied) / (Rise in temperature)
(iv) Specific heat capacity c = (Heat Capacity c') / (Mass of the body m)
(v) Specific heat capacity c = (Amount of heat energy supplied) / (Mass x rise in temperature)
(vi) Principle of mixture = Principle Of Calorimetry =

HOTS:
1. Ice cubes of total mass 70 g, and at 0 °C, are put into a drink of lemonade of mass 300 g. All the ice
melts as 23 500 J of thermal energy transfers from the lemonade to the ice. The final temperature
of the drink is 0 °C. (i) Calculate the specific latent heat of fusion for ice. The thermal energy that
causes the ice to melt is transferred from the lemonade as it cools. The loss of this thermal energy
causes the temperature of the 300 g of the lemonade to fall by 19 °C. Calculate the specific heat

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 capacity of the lemonade. (iii) The melting ice floats on top of the lemonade. Explain the process by
which the lemonade at the bottom of the drink becomes cold.
2. Fig.shows the heating system of a hot water shower.

Cold water at 15 °C flows in at the rate of 0.0036 m3 / minute. Hot water flows out at the same
rate.
(i) Calculate the mass of water that passes the heating element in one minute. The density
of water is 1000 kg / m3.
(ii) The power of the heating element is 8.5 kW.
Calculate the temperature of the hot water that flows out. The specific heat capacity of
water is 4200 J / (kg °C).

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