A simple, friction-bearing calorimeter that yields Joule's constant is described in this paper. The apparatus is easily constructed at minimal expense and may be used as a laboratory experiment. Although the design is very simple, the experimental procedure and data reduction analysis account for gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, translational and rotational kinetic energy, and heat loss. The result is a Joule's constant value accurate within 3%.
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References
1.
JouleJ. P., ‘The scientific papers of James Prescott Joule’, Vols I & II, Dawsons of Pall Mall, London; first published 1887, reprinted 1963.
