Specific heat capacity by the method of mixtures — practice questions

Question 1 · difficulty L1 · recall

Specific heat capacity is the heat required to raise

• A. unit mass of a substance by one kelvin
• B. any mass by 100 K
• C. unit volume by one second
• D. temperature without energy input

Question 2 · difficulty L1 · understanding

The method of mixtures is based mainly on

• A. conservation of electric charge only
• B. conservation of energy
• C. Snell's law
• D. Faraday induction

Question 3 · difficulty L2 · understanding

For an isolated hot object placed in cooler water, thermal equilibrium is reached when

• A. both reach 0°C
• B. the hotter object has zero specific heat
• C. they have the same final temperature
• D. their masses become equal

Question 4 · difficulty L2 · application

If heat loss to surroundings is negligible, heat lost by hot body equals

• A. zero regardless of temperature
• B. only heat gained by air
• C. mass lost by the hot body
• D. heat gained by water plus calorimeter

Question 5 · difficulty L3 · application

A 0.10 kg metal of specific heat 400 J kg^-1 K^-1 cools by 50 K. Heat released is

• A. 2000 J
• B. 200 J
• C. 20,000 J
• D. 8 J

Question 6 · difficulty L3 · application

Why is the calorimeter often given a water equivalent or heat capacity correction?

• A. It has no mass
• B. The calorimeter itself absorbs heat
• C. Water cannot absorb heat
• D. It changes gravitational acceleration

Question 7 · difficulty L4 · analysis

If some heat escapes to the surroundings during mixing but is ignored, the final temperature will be

• A. higher than the hot sample's initial temperature
• B. unchanged exactly
• C. lower than the ideal isolated value when a hot sample heats cooler water
• D. always 0°C

Question 8 · difficulty L4 · analysis

Why should the hot sample be transferred quickly into the calorimeter?

• A. To change its mass
• B. To increase its specific heat
• C. To make water boil
• D. To minimise heat exchange with surroundings before mixing

Question 9 · difficulty L5 · analysis

A 0.20 kg water sample with c=4200 J kg^-1 K^-1 warms by 5 K. Heat gained is

• A. 4200 J
• B. 840 J
• C. 21,000 J
• D. 42 J

Question 10 · difficulty L5 · analysis

A student ignores the calorimeter's positive heat capacity when calculating a hot metal's specific heat. The inferred metal specific heat is likely

• A. too high
• B. too low
• C. exactly correct
• D. negative