Im having trouble understanding what the question is asking?

1 Answer
May 18, 2017

If you want to determine what metal you have, and you know it is a pure metal, it can be identified simply by knowing its specific heat capacity #C_P# in #"J/g"^@ "C"#, i.e. how much heat it takes to raise #"1 g"# of the substance temperature by #1^@ "C"#.

Heat flow #q# is the amount of heat content in #"J"# flowing through a substance, which causes it to change in temperature. Knowing #q# and the change in temperature, #DeltaT#, as well as the mass of the substance in #"g"#, the heat capacity can be determined:

#q = mC_PDeltaT#

We were given:

  • #m = "15.0 g"#
  • #C_P = ???#
  • #DeltaT = T_f - T_i = 18.8^@ "C" - 17.7^@ "C"#
  • #q = "6.35 J"#

Therefore:

#C_P = q/(mDeltaT)#

#= ("6.35 J")/("15.0 g" xx (18.8^@ "C" - 17.7^@ "C"))#

#= color(blue)("0.385 J/g"^@ "C" -= C_(P("Cu")))#