Energy and Heat Experiments
Ever wondered why your phone gets warm when charging? It's all about energy transfer and specific heat capacity. Specific heat capacity tells us how much energy you need to heat up 1kg of any material by just 1°C.
The aluminium block experiment is brilliant for seeing this in action. You'll wrap a metal block in cotton wool (like a cosy blanket), stick in a heater and thermometer, then watch the temperature rise for 10 minutes. The clever bit? Even after switching off the heater, the temperature keeps rising briefly before it starts cooling down.
Your home loses heat constantly, but smart design slows this down. Double glazed windows trap air between glass sheets, whilst cavity walls create air gaps that stop heat escaping. The thicker your walls and the better the insulation, the slower your house cools down - saving you money on heating bills!
Key Tip: In heat experiments, always use the straight-line part of your temperature graph for calculations - it gives you the most accurate results.
