Use the specific heat values to answer the following question:
Which of the following has the smallest heat capacity?
Answer (2)
Analyze the given table of specific heat capacities.
Identify the smallest specific heat capacity value.
Determine the substance corresponding to that value.
The substance with the smallest specific heat capacity is Lead ( P b ) and Gold ( A u ) with a value of 0.129 .
Explanation
Identifying the Objective We are given a table of substances and their specific heat capacities, C p , measured in J / g " , " ∘ C . Our task is to identify the substance with the smallest specific heat capacity from the provided list.
Listing Specific Heat Capacities By examining the table, we can identify the specific heat capacities for each substance:
H 2 O ( l ) : 4.18 J / g " , " ∘ C
H 2 O ( s ) : 2.03 J / g " , " ∘ C
H 2 O ( g ) : 2.08 J / g " , " ∘ C
F e ( s ) : 0.450 J / g " , " ∘ C
A l ( s ) : 0.897 J / g " , " ∘ C
C u ( s ) : 0.385 J / g " , " ∘ C
S n ( s ) : 0.227 J / g " , " ∘ C
P b ( s ) : 0.129 J / g " , " ∘ C
A u ( s ) : 0.129 J / g " , " ∘ C
H g ( l ) : 0.140 J / g " , " ∘ C
We need to find the smallest value among these.
Finding the Smallest Value Comparing the values, we observe that both Lead ( P b ) and Gold ( A u ) have the same smallest specific heat capacity of 0.129 J / g " , " ∘ C .
Identifying the Substance Since the question asks for which of the following has the smallest heat capacity, and both Lead and Gold have the same smallest value, we can choose either. Here, we'll state Lead.
Examples
Understanding specific heat is crucial in many real-world applications. For instance, in cooking, knowing the specific heat of water helps determine how long it takes to boil. Similarly, in engineering, selecting materials with low specific heat, like lead or gold, is important for applications where quick temperature changes are needed, such as in certain electronic components or heat transfer systems. This knowledge ensures efficient design and operation in various thermal processes.
The substance with the smallest heat capacity is Lead ( P b ) and Gold ( A u ), both having a value of 0.129 J / g ∘ C . For this question, we can choose Lead as the answer. Thus, the smallest heat capacity belongs to Lead ( P b ).
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