Specific heat capacity of water- (Anna Mkrtchyan)

Author

Anna Mkrtchyan

Principle(s) Illustrated

  1. Temperature

  2. Specific Heat Capacity

Standards

Questioning Script

Here is what you need:

Balloons

Candle

Lighter

Water

Adult Supervision

1. Blow up one of the balloons and tie off the end

2. Light the candle

3. Place the balloon in the flame to see what happens

4. Fill a different balloon with water

5. Blow up the water filled balloon and tie it off

6. Now place the balloon in the flame

Prior knowledge & experience:

The relationship between thermal energy, heat, and temperature

Root question:

Why doesn't the balloon pop when there's water inside?

Do students understand that the water heats up at a slow rate due to the higher specific heat capacity of the water?

Are students able to articulate the importance of water’s specific heat capacity to global climate patterns?

Target response:

Specific heat capacity is a basic physical property of water. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of energy taken in or given out when the temperature of a substance changes by 1 °C. Substances with a high specific heat capacity absorb more energy before they change in temperature than substances with low specific heat capacity.

Students will learn about an important physical property of water—its high specific heat capacity—that makes it such an important substance for the support of living things.

Common Misconceptions:

The balloon will pop when it comes to contact with flame.

Photographs and Movies

Students will have first-hand experience with the phenomenon of the high specific heat of water.