Chapter 21, Problem 22A

Four plastic-foam soup bowls contain the same amount of water at $20°C$. You dunk cylinders of different metals, but of equal masses, in the bowls. All four cylinders have been in a hot oven and have the same temperature. (See Table 21.1 for specific heat capacities of these metals.)

Rank the bowls according to the maximum temperature of the water after the cylinders are added.

To determine

To rank: The bowls on the basis of maximum temperature of water after the cylinders are added.

Answer to Problem 22A

B> C> A> D.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The specific heat capacity of a material is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the material by 1 degree.

The given bowls are shown below.

  

Specific heat of all 5 substances in ${\text{(J/g}}^{\text{o}}\text{C)}$ are:

Water- $4.186$

Copper- $0.386$

Aluminum- $0.900$

Steel- $0.448$

Silver- $0.23$

As Aluminum has the highest specific heat, it will transfer heat more readily. Thus, it will have the highest temperature when dunking in the water. Steel will have second highest temperature and aluminium have third highest. While silver would have the lowest.

Conclusion:

Thus, according to the specific heat of all substances dunk in the water. Ranking of the maximum temperature of the water would be $\text{B> C> A> D}$ .