A 0.50 kg block of copper at 95 °C is quickly placed into an insulated calorimeter…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Thermal Properties of Matter · Thermal Properties of Matter
Problem
A 0.50 kg block of copper at 95 °C is quickly placed into an insulated calorimeter containing 0.60 kg of liquid water at 25 °C. Neglect any heat exchange with the calorimeter walls or the external environment. The specific heat capacity of copper is 0.385 J g⁻¹ °C⁻¹; that of water is 4.18 J g⁻¹ °C⁻¹.
(a) Determine the final equilibrium temperature of the copper–water system. Show all reasoning and include appropriate units.
(b) Calculate the magnitude of heat lost by the copper block and the magnitude of heat gained by the water. Comment on the sign (positive or negative) of each quantity.
(c) Explain, in terms of average molecular kinetic energy, why the calculated direction of heat flow is consistent with the initial temperature data.