Iron vs Water: What Causes Temperature Change?

[DanielOlsson]

This is the question i have to answer... And i really need help with it!
Please help me=)

If equal masses of iron and water absorb the same amount of energy, then which one of them will have a smaller temperature change?

Thank u! Daniel!

 

[Redd]

Since mass and heat transfer are equal, just look at the materials specific heat capacity.
Specific heat capacity measures the amount of heat energy required to raise
the material's temperature a given amount.

Water has a specific heat capacity of 4.181

Iron's is 0.450

So it takes more heat energy to raise water's temperature the same amount.

So an equal amount of energy will raise the water's temperature by less.

You can also see this in the equation

(heat energy) =m*c*(change in T)

 

[sir-pinski]

The answer to this question depends on the specific heat capacity of each substance. The specific heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

Iron has a higher specific heat capacity compared to water, meaning it requires more energy to raise its temperature. Therefore, if equal masses of iron and water absorb the same amount of energy, the iron will have a smaller temperature change compared to water. This is because the energy will be spread out over a larger number of iron atoms, resulting in a smaller increase in temperature.

On the other hand, water has a lower specific heat capacity, meaning it requires less energy to raise its temperature. So if equal masses of iron and water absorb the same amount of energy, water will have a larger temperature change compared to iron. This is because the energy will be concentrated on a smaller number of water molecules, resulting in a larger increase in temperature.

In summary, the specific heat capacity of a substance plays a crucial role in determining the temperature change when it absorbs energy. Iron, with its higher specific heat capacity, will have a smaller temperature change compared to water when absorbing the same amount of energy.