What is the specific heat of a material if a 6.0 g sample absorbs 50 J when it is heated from 30°C to 50°C?

1 Answer
Slangus
Nov 9, 2015

#Cs#= 0.4167#J/(gC)#

Explanation:

Use the equation #q=mC_sDeltaT#

You are given the #q# in the form of J. You are given the mass in grams and also the initial and final temperature. #Delta#T = #T_f#-#T_i#.

If you plug in the known variables the equation will look like:
#50J#=#6g##(C_s)##20C#

At this point you just solve for #C_s# using some algebra.

#50J#/#(6g)##(20C)#

It is really helpful to keep units in the equation when solving. Let the units lead the way in solving thermochemistry problems.

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