An experiment was set up to measure the specific heat capacity of a substance - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 2 - 2017

The following measurements were taken:

1. Mass of the substance (solid or liquid).
2. Temperature of the liquid before and after heating.
3. Energy supplied, recorded by the joulemeter,

These three data points are crucial for calculating the specific heat capacity.

The mass of the substance was determined using a calibrated balance:

• The mass of the calorimeter with water was measured first.
• Then, the empty calorimeter mass was subtracted from the total to find the mass of the substance.

The specific heat capacity (c) was calculated using the equation: $c = \frac{Q}{m \Delta T}$ Where:

• $Q$ is the total energy supplied (in Joules),
• $m$ is the mass of the substance (in kg),
• $\Delta T$ is the change in temperature (in °C) of the substance.

Substitute the values of $Q$, $m$, and $\Delta T$ into the formula to find the specific heat capacity.

One precaution the student might have taken is to ensure the thermometer is calibrated correctly. Additionally, they could ensure that there's no parallax error when reading the thermometer, or use a thermometer graduated to 0.1 °C to enhance precision.