Question

A chemist carefully measures the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a 894.0 g sample of a pure substance from -5.8C to 17.5C. The experiment shows that 4.90kJs of heat are needed. What can the chemist report for the specific heat capacity of the substance? (Round your answer to 3 significant digits.)

Answer 1

Answer : The specific heat of substance is
`0.235J/g^oC`

Explanation :

Formula used :

`Q=m* c* \Delta T`

or,

`Q=m* c* (T_2-T_1)`

where,

Q = heat needed = 4.90 kJ = 4900 J

m = mass of sample = 894.0 g

c = specific heat of substance = ?

`T_1` = initial temperature =
`-5.8^oC`

`T_2` = final temperature =
`17.5^oC`

Now put all the given value in the above formula, we get:

`4900J=894.0g* c* [17.5-(-5.8)]^oC`

`c=0.235J/g^oC`

Therefore, the specific heat of substance is
`0.235J/g^oC`