What is the specific heat of a substance if it takes 250 J of heat energy to raise the temperature of a 20 g sample from 20 degrees celsius to 45 degrees celcius?
To find the specific heat of a substance, you can use the formula:
Q = m * c * ΔT
Where:
- Q is the heat energy absorbed or released by the substance (in joules)
- m is the mass of the substance (in grams)
- c is the specific heat capacity of the substance (in J/g°C)
- ΔT is the change in temperature (in °C)
In this case, you have the following values:
- Q = 250 J
- m = 20 g
- ΔT = 45 °C - 20 °C = 25 °C
Now, we can rearrange the formula to solve for c:
c = Q / (m * ΔT)
Substituting the given values:
c = 250 J / (20 g * 25 °C)
c = 250 J / (500 g*°C)
c = 0.5 J/g°C
Therefore, the specific heat of the substance is 0.5 J/g°C.