Question

What is the mass of a piece of zinc that absorbs 1576 calories of heat and increased its temperature by 8.7 °C (specific heat of zinc is 0.39 cal/gºC). SHOW YOUR WORK *​

Answer 1

Answer:

m = 476.5[g].

Explanation:

In order to solve this problem, we must use the following equation of thermal energy.

$Q=m*c_{p}*(T_{final}-T_{initial})$

where:

Q = heat energy = 1576 [cal]

Cp = specific heat = 0.39 [cal/g*°C]

T_final = final temperature [°C]

T_initial = initial temperature [°C]

m = mass of the piece of zinc [g]

We must keep in mind that the difference of the final temperature minus the initial temperature results in the increase in temperature.

$T_{final}-T_{initial} = 8.7[C]$

Now replacing:

$1576=m*0.39*(8.7)\\m=476.5[g]$