Question

Use the specific heat values to answer the following questions.

Which of the following has the smallest heat capacity?


✔ 3.0 g Pb
Which substance would retain the most heat for the longest period of time?

Al(s)

Hmc001-1.jpgO(s)

Hmc001-2.jpgO(l)

Sn(s)
A 2-column table with 10 rows. Column 1 is labeled substance and column 2 is labeled Specific heat capacity in joules per gram time degrees Celsius. 10 rows are as follows. Water, liquid: 4.18. Water, solid: 2.03. Water, gas: 2.08. Iron, solid: 0.450; Aluminum, solid: 0.897. Copper, solid: 0.385. Tin, solid: 0.227. Lead, solid: 0.129. Gold, solid: 0.129. Mercury, liquid: 0.140.

Answer 1

1) Smallest heat capacity: 3.0 g Pb — correct.
- Heat capacity = mass × specific heat = 3.0 g × 0.129 J/g·°C = 0.387 J/°C (smaller than the others because Pb has a very low specific heat and the mass is small).

2) Would retain the most heat the longest: H2O(l) (liquid water).
- Liquid water has the highest specific heat (4.18 J/g·°C), so for the same mass it stores/releases much more heat per °C than Al (0.897 J/g·°C) or Sn (0.227 J/g·°C).
- Example for 3 g: water = 12.54 J/°C, Al = 2.69 J/°C, Sn = 0.681 J/°C.
(Assumes equal mass and no phase change; thermal conductivity and other factors are ignored.)