Question

If two different substances, with the same mass (1 gram) absorb the same amount of energy, which of the following can

be predicted?
The temperature of the substance with the higher specific heat will increase more than the one with a lower specific heat.
The temperature of both substances will increase equal amounts
The temperature of the substance with the lower specific heat will increase more than the one with a higher specific heat
Cannot predict without knowing the specific substances.
​

Answer 1

The temperature of the substance with the lower specific heat will increase more than the one with a higher specific heat

Step-by-step explanation:

The increase of temperature of a substance is given by:

`\Delta T = (Q)/(m C_s)`

where

Q is the amount of heat absorbed by the substance

m is the mass of the substance

`C_s` is the specific heat capacity of the substance

In this problem, we have two substances with same mass m, that absorb the same amount of heat Q. We see from the formula that the increase in temperature is inversely proportional to the specific heat: therefore, the substance with lower specific heat will have a greater increase in temperature than the substance with higher specific heat.