Question

Heat gained or lost is mass times specific heat times change in temperature. What is the specific heat of a metal if 100 joules are needed to raise 10 grams of water by 20°C? A) 0.5 j°C / kg B) 1.0 j°C / kg C) 2.0 j°C / kg D) 200 j°C / kg

Answer 1

Answer: A) 0.5 J / g ºC

Step-by-step explanation:

The specific heat capacity or specific heat is a physical quantity that is defined as the amount of heat that must be supplied to the mass unit of a thermodynamic substance or system to raise its temperature by one unit.

So, the specific heat capacity (c) will be given by,

c = q / m ΔT

where q is the transfer of energy between the substance and its environment or another substance, m is its mass of and ΔT is the temperature increase experienced by the system.

If q = 100 J, m = 10 g and ΔT = 20°C, then

c =
`(100 J)/(10 g x 20 ºC)` → c = 0.5 J / g ºC

So, the specific heat capacity of a metal if 100 joules are needed to raise 10 g of water by 20°C is c = 0.5 J / g ºC