PURPOSE: To illustrate experimentally the specific heats of oil and water.

DESCRIPTION: Put equal amounts of oil and water at room temperature into 800ml beakers. In each beaker put a stirring rod, a heat strip, and a data studio temperature probe. Place each beaker on a mini stirrer. The beaker of oil should be set to 3 and the water should be set to 6. Plug the stirrers and the heat strip into a power strip. Turn on the stips and stirrers at the same time. Monitor the progress on a data studio activity. The oil will heat up at a linear rate which is twice as fast as the linear rate of the water. If the class questions which temperature is which unplug the oil temperature probe to get a spike.

SUGGESTIONS:

EQUIPMENT: Two 800 ml beakers, 2 data studio temperature probes, 2 mini stirrers with stirring rods, 2 heat strips, wesson oil, water and power strip.

SETUP TIME: 60 min.