A laboratory technician wishes to determine the specific heat capacity of a newly…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Further mechanics and thermal physics · Further mechanics and thermal physics
Problem
A laboratory technician wishes to determine the specific heat capacity of a newly synthesized solid compound. The technician heats 8.50 g of the compound from 18.4 °C to 95.6 °C using an electric heater that delivers energy at a constant rate of 42.0 W. The heating takes exactly 155 s.
(a) Determine the total quantity of heat (in joules) delivered to the compound during the heating interval.
(b) Using the result from part (a), calculate the specific heat capacity of the compound in Jg−1∘C−1, reporting your answer with the correct number of significant figures.
(c) Circle the statement that correctly describes how the calculated specific heat capacity would change, if at all, had the heater operated for the same total time but at 21.0 W instead of 42.0 W. Justify your selection with appropriate reasoning.
• It would be larger • It would be smaller • It would be unchanged