Thermodynamics revision

Quick quiz
Define this terms
• Define ‘specific heat capacity’ and ‘specific latent heat’
• Specific heat capacity (c) is the amount of thermal energy transfer (heat) required to raise the temperature
of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C. The specific latent heat of fusion is the amount of energy required to melt 1
kg of a substance at its melting point. The specific latent heat of vaporisation is the thermal energy required
to change 1 kg of a liquid at its boiling point into a vapour.
• Define ‘thermal equilibrium’ and give an example.
• Thermal equilibrium is the condition when two substances in physical contact with each other exchange no
heat energy. An example is putting a heated brass mass into a cup of cool water. They eventually come to a
final stable temperature and the brass and water are said to be in thermal equilibrium.
• Explain conduction and convection
• Conduction is the process in which heat is directly transferred or transmitted through a
substance due to a temperature difference between neighboring regions, without movement of
any matter. However, convection is the transfer of heat caused by the movement within a fluid of
the hotter and less dense material rising and colder, denser material which sinks, under the
influence of gravity.
200 g of water at 80°C is mixed with 100 g of gold at 20°C. If the final
(equilibrium) temperature is 79°C, determine the specific heat capacity of
gold.
250 g of water at 80°C is mixed with 1000 g of aluminium at 20°C and 500 g of zinc also at 20°C.
Determine the final (equilibrium) temperature of the mixture. (cZn = 388 J kg–1 K–1)
A child wanting to make a cordial ice block places 200 g of cordial at 25°C in the
freezer. If the freezer can remove energy at the rate of 25 joules per second, determine
the time it will it take for the cordial to freeze. (Assume the specific latent heat and
specific heat capacity of cordial are the same as water.)
A substance is in the solid form at 0°C. The amount of heat
added to this substance and its temperature are plotted in the
graph shown in Figure 4. The specific heat capacity of the
solid substance is 500 J kg–1 K–1. Determine the specific
latent heat of fusion for the melting process.
The solid rises in temperature from 0 C to 80 C with 400
J of energy added.

The change of phase occurs as the heat added goes from 400 J to
800 J. There is no temperature rise. Thus 400 J has been added.
90.0 g of molten lead at 327.3°C is poured into a 300.0 g casting made of iron
initially at 20°C. Determine the final temperature of the system.
Three cubes of iron, aluminium and copper, each of mass 80.0 g, have temperatures of 80°C, 120°C and 180°C
respectively. The cubes are pressed together. Determine their equilibrium temperature.

Start by taking a guess at which metal/s will lose heat and which will gain heat. It doesn’t really matter if it is wrong as
the formulas will allow for that. Let’s assume that copper loses heat and the other two gain heat.
A mechanic was making up a 1:50 fuel mixture for a two-stroke motor mower. The
mechanic mixed 100 mL (88.8 g) of oil at 35.0°C with 4.90 L (3.53 kg) of petrol at
20.0°C. Given that the specific heat capacities of oil and petrol are 1800 J kg–1 K–1
and 2130 J kg–1 K–1 respectively, determine the final temperature of the mixture.
A 1.0 kg sample of metal with a specific heat capacity of 500 J kg–1 K–1
is heated to 100.0°C and then placed in a 50.0 g sample of water at
20.0°C. Determine the final (equilibrium) temperature of the metal and
the water.
250 g of water at 80°C is mixed with 1000 g of aluminium
at 20°C and 500 g of zinc (cZn = 388 J kg–1 K–1) also at
20°C. Determine the final temperature of the mixture.