A block of aluminum weighing 140. g is cooled from 98.4°C to 62.2°C with the release of 1080 joules of heat. From this data, calculate the specific heat of aluminum.

Answer 1

The specific heat (c) of a substance is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1 degree Celsius.

To calculate the specific heat of aluminum, we can use the formula:

Q = m * c * ΔT

Where:
- Q is the heat energy released (1080 J)
- m is the mass of the aluminum (140 g)
- c is the specific heat of aluminum (unknown)
- ΔT is the change in temperature (98.4°C - 62.2°C = 36.2°C)

Plugging in the values into the formula, we get:

1080 J = 140 g * c * 36.2°C

Simplifying the equation:

c = 1080 J / (140 g * 36.2°C)

c = 1080 J / 5056 g°C

c ≈ 0.213 J/g°C

Therefore, the specific heat of aluminum is approximately 0.213 J/g°C.