Chapter 4: Heat
What you need to learn in this chapter
In this chapter, we will be learning about heat and its various aspects. Firstly, we will understand thermal equilibrium, which is when two objects are at the same temperature and no heat flows between them. We will explore examples of thermal equilibrium in our daily lives and learn how to calibrate a liquid-in-glass thermometer using two fixed points.
Next, we will delve into specific heat capacity, which is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. We will also define specific heat capacity, which is the heat capacity per unit mass of a material.
Moving on, we will explore specific latent heat, which is the amount of heat energy required to change the state of a substance without changing its temperature. We will define specific latent heat, specific latent heat of fusion (for solid to liquid transition), and specific latent heat of evaporation (for liquid to gas transition).
Lastly, we will study gas laws, which explain the relationship between pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas based on the Kinetic Theory of Gas. We will conduct experiments to determine the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature.
By the end of this chapter, we will have a solid understanding of heat and its various concepts, including thermal equilibrium, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, and gas laws.
Topics in this chapter
1. Thermal Equilibrium
What you will learn in this topic
- Explain with examples thermal equilibrium in daily life
- Calibrate a liquid-in-glass thermometer using two fixed points
2. Specific Heat Capacity
What you will learn in this topic
- Explain heat capacity, C
- Define specific heat capacity of a material, c
- Experiment to determine: the specific heat capacity of water and the specific heat capacity of aluminum
- Communicate to explain the applications of specific heat capacity in daily life, material engineering and natural phenomena
- Solve problems involving specific heat capacity using formula Q = mcѲ
3. Specific Latent Heat
What you will learn in this topic
- Explain latent heat
- Define: specific latent heat, specific latent heat of fusion, specific latent heat of evaporization
- Experiment to determine: specific latent heat of fusion of ice and specific latent heat of evaporation of water
- Communicate to explain the applications of specific latent heat in daily life
- Solve problems involving latent heat
4. Gas Laws
What you will learn in this topic
- Explain pressure, temperature and volume of gas in terms of the behaviour of gas molecules based on the Kinetic Theory of Gas
- Experiment to determine the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature
- Experiment to determine the relationship between the volume and temperature of a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure
- Experiment to determine the relationship between the pressure and temperature of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume
- Solve problems involving pressure, temperature and volume for a fixed mass of gas using Gas law formulas
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