When exposed to the same amount of heat for the same amount of time, a 3 g sample of
copper will experience a greater temperature change than a 12 g sample of copper due to
its smaller ___.
Mass
mmmmmmmmmass its mass
When exposed to the same amount of heat for the same amount of time, a 3 g sample of copper will experience a greater temperature change than a 12 g sample of copper due to its smaller mass.
To determine why a 3 g sample of copper would experience a greater temperature change than a 12 g sample of copper when exposed to the same amount of heat for the same amount of time, we need to understand the concept of specific heat capacity.
The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a given amount of that substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin). It is often represented by the symbol "C."
The specific heat capacity is an inherent property of the substance and is typically given in units of J/g°C (joules per gram Celsius). It indicates how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1 degree Celsius.
In this case, because we are comparing two samples of copper, we can assume that they have the same specific heat capacity.
Now, let's use the equation for heat transfer to see how the mass of the sample affects the temperature change:
Q = m * C * ΔT
Where:
Q = heat transferred (in joules)
m = mass of the sample (in grams)
C = specific heat capacity of the substance (in J/g°C)
ΔT = temperature change (in Celsius)
Assuming the heat transferred (Q) and the specific heat capacity (C) are constant, we can rearrange the equation as follows:
ΔT = Q / (m * C)
Since we are comparing the temperature change, ΔT, for two samples of copper, we can ignore the heat transferred (Q) and the specific heat capacity (C) since they would be the same for both samples.
Now, let's compare the mass (m) terms. We have a 3 g sample and a 12 g sample:
For the 3 g sample:
ΔT₁ = 1 / 3
For the 12 g sample:
ΔT₂ = 1 / 12
As you can see, the ΔT value for the 3 g sample is larger than the ΔT value for the 12 g sample. Therefore, the 3 g sample of copper will experience a greater temperature change than the 12 g sample due to its smaller mass.