What would the specific heat of graphite be? A 15.0g piece of graphite is heated to 100.0 degrees C and placed in calorimeter. The graphite releases 815.1 J of heat to reach a final temperature of 23.9 degrees C.
q = mass C x specific heat x (Tfinal-Tinitial)
q is 815.1 J
To determine the specific heat of graphite in this scenario, we can use the formula:
q = mcΔT
Where:
q is the amount of heat released or absorbed
m is the mass of the substance
c is the specific heat
ΔT is the change in temperature
First, let's calculate the amount of heat released by the graphite (q):
q = 815.1 J
Next, we need to find the change in temperature (ΔT):
ΔT = final temperature - initial temperature
= 23.9°C - 100.0°C
= -76.1°C
It is important to convert the temperature to Kelvin (K) since the Celsius and Kelvin scales have the same increments:
ΔT = -76.1°C + 273.15
= 197.05 K
Now, we can substitute the values into the formula and solve for the specific heat (c):
q = mcΔT
815.1 J = (15.0 g) c (197.05 K)
Divide both sides of the equation by the mass and ΔT to isolate c:
c = q / (m ΔT)
c = 815.1 J / (15.0 g * 197.05 K)
Calculating,
c ≈ 0.218 J/g•K
Therefore, the specific heat of graphite in this scenario is approximately 0.218 J/g•K.