Question

What is the amount of energy absorbed by the water in the calorimeter when a 2.50 g sample of zinc is heated and placed in it, causing the water's temperature to increase from 20.00°C to 22.50°C? Option 1: 209.5 J. Option 2: 418 J. Option 3: 837 J. Option 4: 1674 J.

Answer 1

By using the specific heat of water, the mass of the zinc, and the temperature increase, we calculate approximately 26.15 joules would be absorbed. Unfortunately, this does not match any of the provided options.

Step-by-step explanation:

This problem is about understanding the concept of specific heat and how it relates to the energy that a body of water can absorb. The specific heat of water is generally taken as 4.184 J/g°C. This means that to cause a one degree Celsius increase in one gram of water, 4.184 joules of energy is required.

Given that the temperature increase observed in this problem is 2.5°C and knowing the mass of the water, we can calculate the total energy absorbed using the equation q=mcΔT, where q represents energy, m, mass, c , specific heat and ΔT, the change in temperature. Substituting the relevant values in, we get ((4.184 J/g°C) * 2.5°C * 2.50g) = 26.15 joules.

However, none of the provided options match this calculated value. This could be due to a potential error in the question or a misunderstanding on the specific conditions of the problem (for example, the mass of water in the calorimeter has not been clearly stated).

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