Question

A piece of unknown solid substance weighs 437.2 g and requires 8460 J to increase its temperature from 19.3 °C to 68.9 °C.

What is the specific heat capacity of the unknown substance?

a) 4.18J/g°C
b) 0.48J/g°C
c) 2.47J/g°C
d) 0.97J/g°C

Answer 1

The specific heat capacity of the unknown substance is approximately c. 2.47 J/g°C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1 degree Celsius. To calculate the specific heat capacity, we can use the formula:

q = mcΔT

Where:

• q is the amount of heat transferred
• m is the mass of the substance
• c is the specific heat capacity
• ΔT is the change in temperature

In this case, the mass of the unknown substance is 437.2 g, and the change in temperature is from 19.3 °C to 68.9 °C. The amount of heat transferred is 8460 J. Plugging in these values, we can solve for c:

8460 J = (437.2 g) c (68.9 °C - 19.3 °C)

c ≈ 2.47 J/g°C

Therefore, the specific heat capacity of the unknown substance is approximately 2.47 J/g°C, so the correct option is (c) c. 2.47J/g°C.