Question

When a 120 g sample of aluminum absorbs 9612 J of heat energy, its temperature increases from 25oC to 115oC. Find the specific heat of aluminum.

Answer 1

The specific heat of aluminum, calculated using the heat transfer formula Q=mcΔT from the given values of heat absorbed, mass, and change in temperature, is determined to be 0.890 J/g°C.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the specific heat of aluminum, we use the heat transfer formula Q=mcΔT. Here, Q is the amount of heat absorbed, in Joules, m is the mass of the aluminum, in grams, and ΔT is the change in temperature, in degrees Celsius. The specific heat (c) can be calculated by rearranging the formula to c = Q / (mΔT).

Given:

• Q = 9612 J (heat absorbed)
• m = 120 g (mass of aluminum)
• ΔT = 115°C - 25°C = 90°C (change in temperature)

By plugging these values into the formula, we get:

c = 9612 J / (120 g × 90°C)

Calculating this gives us:

c = 9612 J / 10800 g°C

c = 0.890 J/g°C

This value is the specific heat of the aluminum sample in the question.