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Describe what happens to the wasted energy - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 3 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 3
Describe what happens to the wasted energy. (b) Explain one way the experiment can be improved to reduce the amount of wasted energy. (c) The initial mass of the w... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Describe what happens to the wasted energy - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 3 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe what happens to the wasted energy.
Answer
Wasted energy is typically dissipated in the form of heat that escapes into the surroundings. This can occur through conduction, convection, or radiation. In the context of an experiment involving a heater, a significant portion of the energy can be lost to the air or surrounding materials rather than effectively heating the water.
Step 2
Explain one way the experiment can be improved to reduce the amount of wasted energy.
Answer
One effective way to minimize wasted energy in this experiment is to use insulation around the beaker. By wrapping the beaker with insulating materials, we can significantly reduce heat loss to the environment, ensuring that more energy is used for heating the water rather than escaping.
Step 3
Use an equation from the formula sheet to calculate the specific latent heat of the water.
Answer
To determine the specific latent heat of the water, we will use the formula:
Where:
- is the total thermal energy transferred (270,000 J)
- is the mass of the water that has changed state (the mass lost when the water boiled, which is 0.72 kg - 0.60 kg = 0.12 kg)
- is the specific latent heat.
Rearranging the formula to solve for gives:
Thus, the specific latent heat of the water is 2,250,000 J/kg.