Heating experiments and Q = mcΔT
Plan and carry out experiments to measure energy transferred during heating, including using the equation Q = mcΔT, recording temperature changes over time, and evaluating sources of error
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“If your child heated 100 ml of water in a beaker and recorded the temperature every minute, could they plot the results on a graph and use the data to work out roughly how much energy was transferred to the water?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Plan and carry out experiments to measure energy transferred during heating, including using the equation Q = mcΔT, recording temperature changes over time, and evaluating sources of error
What to notice. Uses a thermometer and stopwatch to record temperature change over time in a heating experiment • Applies Q = mcΔT to calculate the energy transferred to a substance being heated • Identifies sources of energy loss in a heating experiment (e.g. heat to surroundings) and suggests improvements • Plots a temperature-time graph and identifies the energy transfer rate from its gradient
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If your child heated 100 ml of water in a beaker and recorded the temperature every minute, could they plot the results on a graph and use the data to work out roughly how much energy was transferred to the water?
Plan and carry out experiments to measure energy transferred during heating, including using the equation Q = mcΔT, recording temperature changes over time, and evaluating sources of error
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Check understanding
- Uses a thermometer and stopwatch to record temperature change over time in a heating experiment
- Applies Q = mcΔT to calculate the energy transferred to a substance being heated
- Identifies sources of energy loss in a heating experiment (e.g. heat to surroundings) and suggests improvements
- Plots a temperature-time graph and identifies the energy transfer rate from its gradient
“If your child heated 100 ml of water in a beaker and recorded the temperature every minute, could they plot the results on a graph and use the data to work out roughly how much energy was transferred to the water?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Energy
- Age range
- Ages 12–13
Standards