Question

(a) Estimate the specific heat capacity of sodium from the Law of Dulong and Petit. The molar mass of sodium is 23.0 g/mol.

(b) What is the percent error of your estimate from the known value, 1230 J/kg·°C?

Answer 1

The specific heat capacity of sodium estimated from the Law of Dulong and Petit is approximately 24.942 J/mol·°C, which has a percent error of -97.96% compared to the known value of 1230 J/kg·°C.

Step-by-step explanation:

(a) The Law of Dulong and Petit states that the product of the specific heat capacity and the molar mass of an element is approximately a constant value. According to this law, the specific heat capacity of sodium is estimated to be 3R, where R is the universal gas constant, which is 8.314 J/mol·K. Therefore, the specific heat capacity of sodium is approximately 24.942 J/mol·°C.

(b) To calculate the percent error, we can use the formula:

Percent Error = [(Estimated Value - Known Value) / Known Value] × 100.

Using this formula:

Percent Error = [(24.942 J/mol·°C - 1230 J/kg·°C) / 1230 J/kg·°C] × 100 = -97.96%