Specific Heat Capacity Quiz

1. What is specific heat capacity?

• A. A. The total energy stored in an object
• B. B. The energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 degreeC
• C. C. The temperature at which a substance boils
• D. D. The rate at which a substance loses heat

2. Which equation correctly relates energy transferred, mass, specific heat capacity and temperature change?

• A. A. deltaE = m / (c x deltatheta)
• B. B. deltaE = c / (m x deltatheta)
• C. C. deltaE = m x c x deltatheta
• D. D. deltaE = m + c + deltatheta

3. Why is a liquid stirred continuously during a specific heat capacity experiment?

• A. A. To cool the liquid down faster
• B. B. To keep the temperature even throughout the liquid
• C. C. To increase the mass of the liquid
• D. D. To prevent the heater from breaking

4. In an experiment to find the specific heat capacity of an aluminium block, 5 kg of aluminium is heated using 21,000 J of electrical energy, and its temperature rises by 10 degreesC. Calculate the specific heat capacity of the aluminium.

• A. A. 210 J/(kg degreeC)
• B. B. 420 J/(kg degreeC)
• C. C. 2100 J/(kg degreeC)
• D. D. 4200 J/(kg degreeC)

5. Two identical masses of water and cooking oil are heated with the same energy input. The water's temperature rises less than the oil's. What does this suggest about their specific heat capacities, and why might a lagged container still give a slightly inaccurate result?

• A. A. Water has a lower specific heat capacity than oil; lagging always eliminates all energy loss
• B. B. Water has a higher specific heat capacity than oil; lagging reduces but does not completely eliminate energy loss to the surroundings
• C. C. Water and oil have identical specific heat capacities; the difference is due to measurement error only
• D. D. Water has a higher specific heat capacity than oil; the container material has no effect on the result