Question

Two metals of equal mass with different heat capacities are subjected to the same amount of heat. Which undergoes the smaller change in temperature (You must explain/justify your answer)?

a) The metal with the higher heat capacity undergoes the smaller change in temperature.
b) The metal with the lower heat capacity undergoes the smaller change in temperature.
c) Both undergo the same change in temperature.
d) You need to know the initial temperatures of the metals.
e) You need to know which metals you have.

Answer 1

The metal with the higher heat capacity undergoes the smaller change in temperature because it requires more heat to raise its temperature by 1°C. For cooling metal, ice is more effective than water because it has a higher specific heat, thus absorbing more thermal energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two metals of equal mass with different heat capacities are subjected to the same amount of heat, the one with the higher heat capacity undergoes the smaller change in temperature. This is because heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by 1°C. The metal with the higher heat capacity requires more heat to increase its temperature by the same amount. Thus, when both metals receive the same amount of heat, the one with the lower heat capacity will have a larger temperature change since it requires less heat to change its temperature.

For the question about cooling a hot piece of metal, the correct answer would be that ice would reduce the metal's temperature more because it has a greater specific heat than water. If both the ice and cold water change in temperature by the same amount, the substance with the higher specific heat (in this case, ice) will absorb a greater amount of thermal energy, therefore removing more heat from the metal and cooling it more effectively.