chemistry question

Question

Water has a specific heat of 1.00 cal/g°C and wood has a specific heat of 0.10 cal/g°C. Which substance requires more heat to be warmed from room temperature to 50°?

A.  They both require the same amount of heat.

B.  Water requires more heat because it has a higher specific heat.

C.  Wood requires more heat because it has a lower specific heat.

D.  Water requires more heat because it is a liquid at room temperature

Answer 1

B.  Water requires more heat because it has a higher specific heat.

Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of substance by 1 degree. So, if water needs 1 cal to do this, and wood needs only 0.1 cal to do the same thing, it will take more heat to raise the temperature of water.

assume you have 1 g of substance at 25 degrees and raise temp to 50 degrees:

q = mC∆T

Water: q = (1 g)(1 cal/g/deg)(25 deg) = 25 cal

Wood: q = (1 g)(0.1 cal/g/deg)(25 deg) = 2.5 cal