Two identical 0.50kg blocks of copper are initially at temperatures TA=350K and TB=300K, respectively. The blocks are quickly placed in thermal contact inside a perfectly insulated container. No work can be done on or by the blocks, and energy exchange with the surroundings is negligible. Take the specific heat capacity of copper to be c=385Jkg−1K−1.
(a) Calculate the equilibrium temperature Tf attained by the two-block system.
(b) Determine the change in internal energy of Block A and of Block B separately once equilibrium is reached. Give each answer in joules and indicate the sign.
(c) Treating both blocks together as a single thermodynamic system, state the numerical values of Q and W for the overall process and provide a brief explanation for each value.