Question

The element hydrogen has the highest specific heat of all elements. At a temperature of 25°C, hydrogen's specific heat is 14,253 J/kg°C. If the temperature of a 0.34 kg sample of hydrogen is to be lowered to its freezing point which is -259° C, how much energy will have to be lost from the hydrogen?

Answer 1

To lower the temperature of the hydrogen sample to its freezing point, approximately 1,539,893 Joules of energy will need to be lost.

Step-by-step explanation:

Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to change the temperature of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. The specific heat of hydrogen is 14,253 J/kg°C. To calculate the amount of energy that needs to be lost from the hydrogen to lower its temperature to its freezing point, we can use the formula:

Energy = mass × specific heat × change in temperature

First, we need to convert the temperature from Celsius to Kelvin, as the specific heat formula requires temperature in Kelvin. The freezing point of hydrogen is -259°C, which is equivalent to 14.15 Kelvin. The initial temperature is 25°C, which is equivalent to 298 Kelvin. The change in temperature is 298 - 14.15 = 283.85 Kelvin.

Now, we can substitute the values into the formula:

Energy = 0.34 kg × 14,253 J/kg°C × 283.85 K = 1,539,893 J

Therefore, approximately 1,539,893 Joules of energy will need to be lost from the hydrogen for its temperature to reach its freezing point.