Question

A thermally isolated system is made up of a hot piece of aluminum and a cold piece of copper; the aluminum and the copper are in thermal contact. The specific heat capacity of aluminum is more than double that of copper. Which object experiences the greater magnitude gain or loss of heat during the time the system takes to reach thermal equilibrium?

A) the copper
B) the aluminum
C) neither; both experience the same size gain or loss of heat
D) it is impossible to tell without knowing the masses
E) it is impossible to tell without knowing the volumes

Answer 1

In a thermally isolated system, the aluminum experiences a greater magnitude gain or loss of heat compared to the copper.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a thermally isolated system consisting of a hot piece of aluminum and a cold piece of copper in thermal contact, the object that experiences the greater magnitude gain or loss of heat during the process of reaching thermal equilibrium is B) the aluminum.

This is because the specific heat capacity of aluminum is more than double that of copper. Specific heat capacity is a measure of how much heat energy is required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount. Since aluminum has a higher specific heat capacity, it can absorb or release more heat energy compared to copper, resulting in a greater magnitude gain or loss of heat.