PASCO ET-8499 Energy Transfer Calorimeter - Manual (Page 4)

Energy Transfer Calorimeter
2 ®
Introduction
The Energy Transfer Calorimeter incorporates the classic design of two nested aluminum cups
with an air space in between for insulation. Instead of the traditional coil, a 10 ohm, circuit-board-
mounted heating resistor is provided for heating water. However, the unit can also be used without
the heating resistor. The size of the calorimeter cup has been scaled to work well with any 1 amp,
10 volt power supply. Typical applications include the calorimetry of mixtures, the heat of fusion
of ice, and the electrical equivalent of heat.
Component specifications
• The outer aluminum cup is a holder and acts as an insulator. Its mass does not need to be
included in any calculations.
• The inner calorimeter cup is made of aluminum, and its mass should be included in heat
transfer equations.
• The heating resistor is permanently mounted in a two-hole stopper, where the second hole
provides access for a temperature probe. The cable end plugs directly into a power supply
with banana terminals.
• The insulating spacer aligns the inner and outer cup to leave a small air space in between that
acts as an insulator. The spacer rests on the step inside the outer cup.
• The insulating lid features a hole for a rubber stopper. A #2, one-hole stopper is included that
can be used to hold the temperature probe when the heating resistor is not used.
Activities
The two copy-ready labs included with this manual cover the topics of calorimetry of mixtures,
latent heats of transformation, and entropy. The experimental setups do not specify the type of
thermometer used. This allows the instructor the flexibility to utilize any available equipment.