Question

A piece of copper with a mass of 26.2g absorbs 323J of heat energy when its temperature increases by 53°C. What is the specific heat of the copper?

a) 0.39 J/g°C
b) 0.76 J/g°C
c) 0.93 J/g°C
d) 1.24 J/g°C

Answer 1

The specific heat of copper is calculated using the formula c = Q / (m × ΔT). After substituting the given values, the closest answer option is (a) 0.39 J/g°C, which aligns with the referenced specific heat capacity for copper.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks for the specific heat of copper, given that a 26.2g piece absorbs 323J of heat energy and its temperature increases by 53°C. The formula to determine specific heat ( c ) is c = Q / (m × ΔT)

Where:

• Q is the heat absorbed (in joules),
• m is the mass (in grams), and
• ΔT is the change in temperature (in °C).

Plugging the values into the equation gives us:

c = 323J / (26.2g × 53°C) = 323J / (1388.6 g°C) = 0.233 J/g°C

The answer that most closely matches our calculated value is (a) 0.39 J/g°C considering that the heat capacity values of copper provided in the reference points to a specific heat of copper to be around 0.390 J/g°C, and given the options presented, 0.39 J/g°C is the closest to this established reference value.