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When copper and aluminum cubes are heated to 59.1 ∘C and submerged in water at 22.0 ∘C, what is the final temperature of the water when equilibrium is reached?

User Mbelow
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Final answer:

The question involves calculating the final temperature of water after copper and aluminum cubes are submerged in it. The solution requires applying the conservation of energy principle, where heat lost by metals equals heat gained by water, to reach thermal equilibrium.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question pertains to finding the final temperature of water when copper and aluminum cubes are heated and submerged in it. This problem involves concepts of heat transfer and thermal equilibrium which are addressed by the principle of conservation of energy. Specifically, the heat lost by the metals will be equal to the heat gained by the water, leading to a common equilibrium temperature.

To find the final temperature of the system, one would set up the equation where the heat lost by the metals is equal to the heat gained by the water. The specific heat capacities of copper and aluminum, along with the masses and initial temperatures of the metals and water, would be used in the calculation.

Given the complexity of the problem and the multiple steps required, it's necessary to know the exact masses and specific heats of the substances involved to perform the calculations and find the final temperature at which equilibrium is reached.

User Martinhans
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Answer:

To calculate the final temperature of the water when equilibrium is reached, you can use the principle of conservation of energy, specifically the principle of heat exchange. This principle states that the heat lost by the hot object equals the heat gained by the cold object in an isolated system.

The equation for heat exchange can be expressed as:

\[ Q_{\text{lost}} = -Q_{\text{gain}} \]

Where \( Q_{\text{lost}} \) is the heat lost by the hot object, and \( Q_{\text{gain}} \) is the heat gained by the cold object.

The heat gained or lost by an object can be calculated using the equation:

\[ Q = mc\Delta T \]

Where:

- \( Q \) is the heat gained or lost

- \( m \) is the mass of the object

- \( c \) is the specific heat capacity of the material

- \( \Delta T \) is the change in temperature

First, we can calculate the heat lost by the copper cube and the heat gained by the water:

\[ Q_{\text{lost, copper}} = mc\Delta T \]

Next, we can calculate the heat gained by the water:

\[ Q_{\text{gain, water}} = mc\Delta T \]

We then set the two equations equal to each other and solve for the final temperature, \( T_f \):

\[ mc_{\text{copper}}(T_f - 59.1^\circ C) = mc_{\text{water}}(T_f - 22.0^\circ C) \]

Where:

- \( m \) is the mass of the copper cube (assumed to be the same for both the copper and aluminum cubes)

- \( c_{\text{copper}} \) is the specific heat capacity of copper

- \( c_{\text{water}} \) is the specific heat capacity of water

Solving this equation for \( T_f \) will give you the final temperature of the water when equilibrium is reached. Note that the specific heat capacities of copper and water are different, so they need to be taken into account when solving for the final temperature.

User Leland Richardson
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