Question

A 5.00 kg piece of solid copper metal at an initial temperature T is placed with 2.00 kg of ice that is initially at -20.0 ∘C. The ice is in an insulated container of negligible mass and no heat is exchanged with the surroundings. After thermal equilibrium is reached, there is 1.20 kg of ice and 0.80 kg of liquid water.

What was the initial temperature of the piece of copper?

Answer 1

To find the initial temperature of the copper, we can use the principle of conservation of energy and calculate the heat gained by the ice and the heat lost by the copper.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can use the principle of conservation of energy. Since the ice and copper reach thermal equilibrium, the heat gained by the ice is equal to the heat lost by the copper. The heat gained by the ice can be calculated using the formula:

Q = m * c * ΔT

Where Q is the heat gained, m is the mass of the ice, and c is the specific heat capacity of ice. The heat lost by the copper can be calculated using the formula:

Q = m * c * ΔT

Where Q is the heat lost, m is the mass of the copper, and c is the specific heat capacity of copper. Equating the two equations, we can solve for the initial temperature of the copper.