For example lets say I have dissolved 5g of salt in 100g of water. I do an experiment for finding the specific heat capacity of the solution in which I measure the energy transferred and the temperature change caused by the energy transfer. Now I want to calculate specific heat capacity from the equation. Do I add the mass of the salt to that of the water before using it in the equation?
2
-
$\begingroup$ Use the mass of the solution possibly having measured it before and after taking data. $\endgroup$– FarcherCommented Jun 14, 2023 at 13:33
-
$\begingroup$ So I should take the whole mass of the solution which has a mass of 105g? $\endgroup$– aagsgsgsgCommented Jun 14, 2023 at 13:36
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
1
Yes you would. Specific heat is defined as the energy required to increase the temperature of unit mass of a substance by one unit. If you want to calculate the specific heat of a salt solution, you'd want to consider one unit mass of the solution, which includes the solute.
So assuming no evaporation, the mass of your system would be 105 grams.
-
$\begingroup$ Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. $\endgroup$– Community BotCommented Jun 14, 2023 at 14:37