Question

Two equal masses of nickel and zinc have the same temperature. Given that the specific heat of the nickel is larger than the specific heat of zinc, what will happen if both objects absorb equal amounts of energy

A) Nickel will have a higher temperature
B) Zinc will have a higher temperature
C) Both will have the same final temperature
D) It depends on the initial temperatures

Answer 1

When equal amounts of energy are absorbed by equal masses of nickel and zinc, zinc will have a higher temperature because it has a lower specific heat compared to nickel.

Step-by-step explanation:

If two equal masses of nickel and zinc have the same temperature and absorb equal amounts of energy, the material with the lower specific heat will have a higher temperature. Given that nickel has a larger specific heat than zinc, the zinc will have a higher temperature after absorbing the same energy. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B) Zinc will have a higher temperature.