Given the following specific heats, answer the question below:

Question

 

Metal	Specific Heat (J/g°C)
Manganese	0.477
Sodium	1.225
Strontium	0.301
Aluminum	0.899
Beryllium	1.823

If the same amount of heat is added to 100.0 g samples of each of the metals, which are all at the same temperature, which metal will have the highest temperature?

Answer 1

The highest temperature will be attained by the metal with the lowest specific heat, i.e. strontium.

This can be seen both by looking at the definition of specific heat, and by doing a calculation to verify this.

Definition of specific heat: the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g by 1 degree.

Example: Compare strontium to beryllium

q = mC∆T

q = heat = a constant in the current problem, we can use 100 joule for calculation purposes

m = mass = 100 g

C = specific heat = variable

∆T = change in temperature = ?

For strontium: 100 J = (100 g)(0.301 J/g/deg))(∆T) and ∆T = 3.3 degrees

For beryllium: 100 J = (100 g)(1.823 J/g/deg)(∆T) and ∆T = 0.55 degrees

So, strontium would increase in temperature by 3.3 degrees and beryllium would only increase in temperature by 0.55 degrees.