Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) Integrated Science (024) Practice Exam

In calculating a specific heat problem, what must you do with the total heat transfer?

1. Add it to the total mass

2. Multiply by the volume

3. Divide it by the grams provided in the problem

4. Ignore it for calculations

The correct answer is: Divide it by the grams provided in the problem

In a specific heat problem, the total heat transfer is calculated using the formula \(Q = mc\Delta T\), where \(Q\) represents the total heat transfer, \(m\) is the mass of the substance, \(c\) is the specific heat capacity, and \(\Delta T\) is the change in temperature. To find the specific heat capacity or determine other variables in this equation, it is often necessary to manipulate the equation in relation to other components. When you divide the total heat transfer by the grams (mass) provided in the problem, it allows you to isolate the specific heat capacity \(c\). This relationship shows how the heat transfer relates to the amount of substance you're dealing with. Correctly identifying the mass is crucial because specific heat is defined per unit mass; thus, dividing by the mass gives a value that represents the specific heat in standardized terms. Therefore, dividing the total heat transfer by the grams is an essential step in determining how much heat energy is needed to raise the temperature of one gram of the substance by one degree Celsius or Kelvin, which is the definition of specific heat capacity.