Question

At 40°C, a chunk of metal has a density of 50 g. When immersed in a steam current at 100°C, 0.4 g of the steam condenses on it. Provided that the latent heat of steam is 640 cal/g, calculate the specific heat of the metal.

Answer 1

Given:

Mass of metal, m = 50 g

Initial temperature = 40°C

Final temperature = 100°C

Mass of steam condensed = 0.4 g

Latent heat of steam, L = 640 cal/g

1. Heat released by steam:

Q = mL

= 0.4 × 640

= 256 cal

2. Heat gained by the metal:

Q = mcΔT

Here, ΔT = 100 − 40 = 60°C

256 = 50 × c × 60

c = `256/3000`

c = 0.0853 cal g⁻¹°C⁻¹