Determine the specific heat of a material if a 28.4 g sample absorbed 42.9 J as it was heated from 293 K to 336 K. Units are J/g · K.
What do you think?
q = mass x specific heat x (Tfinal-Tinitial)
To determine the specific heat of a material, you need to use the formula:
q = m * c * ΔT
where:
- q represents the energy absorbed or released
- m is the mass of the material
- c is the specific heat capacity of the material
- ΔT is the change in temperature
In this case, you know the following values:
- The mass of the sample, m, is 28.4 g
- The energy absorbed, q, is 42.9 J
- The change in temperature, ΔT, is 336 K - 293 K = 43 K
Substituting these values into the formula, we get:
42.9 J = 28.4 g * c * 43 K
Now, we can solve for c by rearranging the equation:
c = q / (m * ΔT)
Plugging in the given values:
c = 42.9 J / (28.4 g * 43 K)
Calculating the numerical answer gives:
c ≈ 0.044 J/g · K
Therefore, the specific heat of the material is approximately 0.044 J/g · K.