Abstract

The Mechanical Equivalent of Heat Apparatus from PASCO scientific provides the means for doing a simple experiment to determine the mechanical equivalent of heat, "J." A necessary step of this experiment is to determine the temperature of an aluminum cylinder. By measuring the resistance of a thermistor embedded in the cylinder, one is able to determine the cylinder's temperature to plus or minus 1 degree C using a table of resistance versus temperature supplied by PASCO. To allow for a more accurate temperature determination, I have developed software to calculate the temperature to approximately plus or minus 0.3 degree C.

Citation

Boleman, M. (2008). Mechanical Equivalent of Heat--Software for a Thermistor. Physics Teacher, 46(2), 92-94. Retrieved June 7, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/103411/.

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Keywords

• Computer Software
• Computer Uses in Education
• Heat
• Measurement Equipment
• Measurement Techniques
• physics
• Science Experiments
• Science Instruction
• Science Laboratories
• Scientific Principles