Assumptions made in the lab about heat transfers (Question 5):
1. The specific heat capacity of the metal being tested is constant and does not change with temperature.
2. The heat transfer between the metal sample and the surroundings is only due to conduction, and other modes of heat transfer such as convection or radiation are negligible.
3. The heat lost or gained by the metal sample is fully absorbed or released by the water in the calorimeter and the calorimeter itself has negligible heat capacity.
4. There is no heat exchange with the surrounding environment, and the calorimeter is perfectly insulated.
Consequences of false assumptions (Question 6):
If any of the above assumptions are false, it could affect the accuracy of the results obtained in the lab. For example:
1. If the specific heat capacity of the metal being tested changes with temperature, it could lead to inaccurate measurements of heat transfer and calculated specific heat capacity values.
2. If convection or radiation is not negligible, it could result in additional heat transfer between the metal sample and the surroundings, leading to inaccurate results.
3. If the calorimeter has significant heat capacity or there is heat exchange with the surrounding environment, it could affect the measurement of heat transfer and calculated specific heat capacity values.
Sources of error and their effects on data (Question 7):
1. Measurement errors: Errors in measuring the initial and final temperatures of the metal sample and water, or the mass of the metal sample and water, could affect the accuracy of calculated specific heat capacity values.
2. Heat loss or gain to the environment: If there is heat exchange with the surrounding environment during the experiment, it could result in inaccurate measurements of heat transfer and specific heat capacity values.
3. Assumption violations: If any of the assumptions mentioned earlier are not valid, it could affect the accuracy of the results obtained in the lab.
Metal with highest specific heat capacity (Question 8):
The metal with the highest specific heat capacity would be the one that requires the most amount of heat energy to raise its temperature by a given amount compared to the other metals tested in the lab. The metal with the highest specific heat capacity would have a larger value of specific heat capacity, indicating that it can absorb more heat energy per unit mass per unit temperature change compared to the other metals. This means that the metal with the highest specific heat capacity can store more heat energy without experiencing a significant increase in temperature, and it has a greater ability to resist changes in temperature when heat is added or removed.