Final answer:
The material with the highest specific heat among copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, and zinc would be the coolest after being heated, likely to be stainless steel or carbon steel. Copper, with its lower specific heat, would heat up and cool down faster.
Step-by-step explanation:
The material that would be the coolest after being heated among copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, and zinc depends on their respective specific heats. The material with the highest specific heat will absorb more heat for a given increase in temperature and hence will be the coolest after being heated as it will take more energy to raise its temperature. Given the information about copper having a specific heat of about 0.39 J/g °C, it is likely to have a lower specific heat compared to the others mentioned, assuming stainless steel, carbon steel, and zinc have higher specific heats. Hence, stainless steel or carbon steel, typically having higher specific heats than copper, would likely be the coolest after being heated.
When considering real-world applications of specific heat, materials with a high specific heat are valuable for insulation purposes because they can absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature, such as woolen clothes, which are used to prevent heat loss from the body. In contrast, copper, with its lower specific heat and high thermal conductivity, is beneficial for applications where quick heat transfer is desirable, such as in cooking pans or heat exchangers.