What is the specific heat of an unknown substance if 2000 J of energy are required to raise the temperature of 4 grams of the substance 5 degrees Celsius?
To calculate the specific heat of the unknown substance, we can use the formula:
Q = m * c * ΔT
Where:
Q is the heat energy absorbed (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, we know:
Q = 2000 J
m = 4 g
ΔT = 5°C
Let's rearrange the formula to solve for c:
c = Q / (m * ΔT)
Now, we can substitute the known values into the formula:
c = 2000 J / (4 g * 5°C)
First, we need to convert grams to kilograms, since the specific heat formula uses the SI unit of mass (kilograms):
c = 2000 J / (0.004 kg * 5°C)
c = 2000 J / 0.02 kg°C
c = 100 J/g°C
Therefore, the specific heat of the unknown substance is 100 J/g°C.