Heating experiments and Q = mcΔT

Question 1

Which investigation would best allow a student to determine how the amount of thermal energy transferred to a sample affects the change in its temperature, while keeping the other factors constant?

Accepted Answer

Heat the same mass of water with different amounts of thermal energy and record the temperature change.

Answer

Heat equal masses of water and aluminum with the same amount of energy and record the temperature change.

Answer

Heat equal masses of water and oil with the same amount of energy and record the temperature change.

Answer

Heat the same amount of energy into water samples of different masses and record the temperature change.

Question 2

A student heats 200 g of water in a beaker. The thermometer shows the water temperature rises from 20 °C to 45 °C. Using the formula Q = mcΔT (specific heat capacity of water = 4186 J kg⁻¹ °C⁻¹), how much energy was transferred to the water?

Accepted Answer

20,900 J

Answer

41,860 J

Answer

10,450 J

Answer

2,090 J

Question 3

A student wants to investigate how the mass of a substance affects the change in its temperature when a fixed amount of thermal energy is transferred to the substance. Which experimental plan would allow the student to isolate the effect of mass while keeping other factors constant?

Accepted Answer

Use the same material for each sample, transfer the same amount of heat energy to each, vary only the mass of the samples, and record the temperature change of each sample.

Answer

Use the same material for each sample, keep the mass the same, vary the amount of heat energy transferred, and record the temperature change of each sample.

Answer

Use the same material for each sample, transfer the same amount of heat energy to each, vary the mass of the samples, and record the change in volume of each sample.

Answer

Use different materials for each sample, keep the mass the same, vary the amount of heat energy transferred, and record the temperature change of each sample.

Try three questions

Which investigation would best allow a student to determine how the amount of thermal energy transferred to a sample affects the change in its temperature, while keeping the other factors constant?

A student heats 200 g of water in a beaker. The thermometer shows the water temperature rises from 20 °C to 45 °C. Using the formula Q = mcΔT (specific heat capacity of water = 4186 J kg⁻¹ °C⁻¹), how much energy was transferred to the water?

A student wants to investigate how the mass of a substance affects the change in its temperature when a fixed amount of thermal energy is transferred to the substance. Which experimental plan would allow the student to isolate the effect of mass while keeping other factors constant?

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