Question

Calculate the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a 50g piece of copper from 20°C to 80°C, given the specific heat capacity of copper is 0.385 J/g*K.

Answer 1

To calculate the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance, we can use the formula:

\[
Q = m \cdot c \cdot \Delta T
\]

where:
- \( Q \) is the heat energy (in joules),
- \( m \) is the mass of the substance (in grams),
- \( c \) is the specific heat capacity (in J/g·K),
- \( \Delta T \) is the change in temperature (in °C or K).

Given:
- \( m = 50 \, \text{g} \)
- \( c = 0.385 \, \text{J/g·K} \)
- Initial temperature \( T_i = 20 \, \text{°C} \)
- Final temperature \( T_f = 80 \, \text{°C} \)

First, we need to calculate the change in temperature \( \Delta T \):

\[
\Delta T = T_f - T_i = 80 \, \text{°C} - 20 \, \text{°C} = 60 \, \text{°C}
\]

Now we can substitute the values into the formula:

\[
Q = 50 \, \text{g} \cdot 0.385 \, \text{J/g·K} \cdot 60 \, \text{K}
\]

Calculating \( Q \):

\[
Q = 50 \cdot 0.385 \cdot 60
\]
\[
Q = 50 \cdot 23.1
\]
\[
Q = 1155 \, \text{J}
\]

Thus, the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of the 50g piece of copper from 20°C to 80°C is **1155 joules**.