Question

A sample of an unknown metal has a mass of 0.5 kg. Adding 1,985 J of thermal energy to the metal raises the temperature by 10°C. What is the specific heat of the metal?

A) 397 J/kg°C
B) 19.85 J/kg°C
C) 1.98 J/kg°C
D) 198.5 J/kg°C

Answer 1

To determine the specific heat of the metal, the formula q = mcΔT is used where q is the thermal energy, m is mass, and ΔT is the change in temperature. Plugging in the numbers, the specific heat is found to be 397 J/kg°C, which is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the specific heat of the metal, we use the formula:

q = mcΔT,

where q is the thermal energy added to the metal, m is the mass of the metal, ΔT is the change in temperature, and c is the specific heat we want to calculate.

In this case,
q = 1,985 J,
m = 0.5 kg, and
ΔT = 10°C. By rearranging the formula to solve for c, we get:

c = q / (mΔT)

c = 1,985 J / (0.5 kg × 10°C)

c = 1,985 J / (5 kg°C)

c = 397 J/kg°C

Therefore, the specific heat of the metal is 397 J/kg°C, which corresponds to option A.