Question

Determine the specific heat of a material if a 12g sample absorbed 48J as it was heated from 20°C to 40°C.

a) [Fill in the answer]
b) 2 J/g°C
c) 1 J/g°C
d) 4 J/g°C

Answer 1

The specific heat of the material is calculated using the formula q = mcΔT. For the given values, the specific heat is determined to be 0.2 J/g°C, which is not listed in the provided options.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the specific heat of a material, we can use the formula for the heat absorbed or released by an object: q = mcΔT, where q is the heat absorbed, m is the mass of the object, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature. For the given problem, the mass (m) is 12g, the heat absorbed (q) is 48J, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 40°C - 20°C = 20°C.

Rearranging the formula to solve for c, we get: c = q / (mΔT). Plugging the values in, we get c = 48J / (12g × 20°C), which simplifies to c = 48J / 240g°C, or c = 0.2 J/g°C. Therefore, the specific heat of the material is 0.2 J/g°C, which is not one of the options provided in the multiple-choice answers. If there's a typo and option (c) is supposed to be 0.2 J/g°C, then that would be the answer.