To determine the mechanical

equivalent of heat j by
Electrical Callender and
Barnes apparatus
1 st method
• You can raise the temperature of a system in two ways. If the system
is at a temperature below that of its surroundings and it is connected
to them by a thermal link, energy in the form of heat will be
transferred to the system.
• The increase in the temperature of the system, dT, is related to the
quantity of heat transferred, Q, by Q=mCdT, where m is the mass of
the system and C is a constant of proportionality determined by the
nature of the material of the system. If we let C have the value of 1
cgs unit, m be 1 g, and dT be 10C, centered about a value such as 15
0C, then Q is measured in units of calories.
2 nd method
• On the other hand, work can be done on the system to raise its
temperature. This can be electrical work, in which the power
dissipated in a resistor during a given time is used to find the
magnitude of the work. Or, mechanical work can be done on the
system, resulting in an increase in its temperature. This work is
measured in joules.
• The ratio of the work necessary to raise the temperature of
a system a given number of degrees to the amount of heat
transferred to the system that has the same effect is called
the mechanical equivalent of heat, or Joule’s constant.
• The usual symbol is J, and the generally accepted value is 4.186 J/cal.
The methods of doing work on the water can
be arranged in a few broad categories:
1. Electrical and magnetic effects, such as resistive heating of wires
immersed in the fluid and eddy-current heating.
2. Frictional effects, such as forcing a liquid through small
apertures, rubbing two pieces of metal together, and stirring liquids
with paddle wheels.
3. Percussive effects, in which two massive bodies make a partly
elastic collision.
4. Thermodynamic effects, such as the compression and expansion
of gases and the difference between specific heats of gases at constant
pressure and constant volume.
• The material under investigation is heated by an electrical immersion
heater and the input energy (H) and the rise in temperature that this
produces are measured. If the mass of the specimen (solid or liquid)
is m and its specific heat capacity c, then:
Q = mc(T2 – T1) + q
• where T1 and T2 are the initial and final temperatures of the specimen
and q is the heat loss.
 Table

Sr.No Time T Temperat Voltage Current Mean Mean

(Min) ure Voltage Current
• Least count of thermometer:
• Least count of ammeter:
• Least count of voltmeter:
• Mass of calorimeter with stirrer: mc= gm
• Mass of calorimeter + stirrer + water: M= gm
• Mass of water mw= M-mc= gm
• Initial temperature of water T1:
• Final temp of water t2:
• Time for which current is passed= t= sec
• Specific heat of water Cw= 1 cal/gm0C
• Specific heat of calorimeter Cc= 0.1 cal/gm
Calculation

𝑣𝑖𝑡
• Mechanical equivalence of heat J = J/cal
(𝑚𝑐 𝐶𝑐 + 𝑚𝑤 𝐶𝑤 )(𝑇2 −𝑇1 )