Final answer:
A metal with a lower specific heat capacity would cause a more severe burn, as it requires less energy to reach a high temperature and can transfer more heat upon contact.
Step-by-step explanation:
If equal masses of two distinct metals are heated to the same temperature, the metal with the lower specific heat capacity would cause a more severe burn. Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C. Metals with a lower specific heat capacity will require less energy to reach a certain temperature, meaning they will increase in temperature more quickly and thus transfer more heat upon contact compared to metals with a higher specific heat capacity.
For example, if you exposed two metals, one with a high specific heat like water and another with a low specific heat like iron, to the same amount of heat, the metal with the lower specific heat (iron in this case) would get hotter faster than water because it needs less energy to increase its temperature. This is why you should exercise caution when touching objects like iron pans that have been heated, as they can cause burns more readily due to their lower specific heat capacity, allowing them to release more heat upon contact.