Submit Lab 3 – Niagara. You will need a blender, a thermometer, and a stopwatch/timer for this activity.
Watch this clip on the mechanical equivalence of heat before you do the lab:
Lab: Niagara Simulation Lab Instructions and Report Sheet
You may do this lab in two groups, but you should turn in individual lab write-ups.
To demonstrate the Laws of Thermodynamics:
Materials: Blender, water, Thermometer
Procedure:
Simulate the Niagara Falls by filling an electric (food) blender half way with water. Measure the temperature of the water. {Make sure the temperature is stable--two consecutive readings should give you the same value.} Run the blender at high speed for 1 minute, then record the temperature. Repeat this process five times. Graph your results. Explain your observations.
Trial
Temp. 0C Trials
1 2 Average
Make a graph using these readings. Label the axes. Title the graph. Use correct scales on both axes. Draw neatly using pencil. You may also do Excel graphs.
Explain how the first and second laws of thermodynamics are demonstrated in the experiment.