Final answer:
To melt a 55.8 kg block of iron, one must calculate the energy using the formula E = m × Lf, with the latent heat of fusion for iron being 247 kJ/kg. After performing the calculation, the energy required is found to be 13783600 joules when rounded to the nearest whole number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the amount of thermal energy required to melt a block of iron with a given mass. The concept involved is the calculation of energy using the latent heat of fusion. To calculate the energy, one needs to know the mass of the iron and its latent heat of fusion. The latent heat of fusion for iron is approximately 247 kJ/kg.
To find out how much energy is needed to melt the entire block of iron, we would use the formula:
E = m × Lf
Where E is the energy in joules, m is the mass in kilograms, and Lf is the latent heat of fusion in kJ/kg. The student's block of iron weighs 55.8 kg, so:
E = 55.8 kg × 247 kJ/kg = 13783.6 kJ
Since we want the answer in joules, remember that 1 kJ = 1000 J:
E = 13783.6 kJ × 1000 = 13783600 J
Rounded to the nearest whole number, the energy required is 13783600 joules.