Improved Method for Determining the Heat Capacity of Metals

An improved procedure for laboratory determination of the heat capacities of metals is described. The temperature of cold water is continuously recorded with a computer-interfaced temperature probe and the room temperature metal is added. The method is more accurate and faster than previous methods. It allows students to get accurate measurements on multiple samples in a laboratory period, making it suitable for a traditional laboratory course as well as for a discovery lab approach. Results for 267 student trials (excluding 15 outliers) on five metals are reported. The average molar heat capacity for each metal was within 3.3% of the ideal Dulong and Petit value of 3R.