If 0.145 J of heat causes a temperature change of 0.475 °C in a substance, what is the heat capacity of the substance?

• A. 0.475 J/°C
• B. 0.690 J/°C
• C. 0.305 J/°C
• D. 0.145 J/°C

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that heat capacity (C) is defined as the amount of heat (q) required to change the temperature (ΔT) of a substance by one degree Celsius. The formula is: \[ C = \frac{q}{\Delta T} \]
2. Identify the given values from the problem: heat added, \(q = 0.145\) J, and temperature change, \(\Delta T = 0.475\) °C.
3. Substitute the known values into the heat capacity formula: \[ C = \frac{0.145\ \text{J}}{0.475\ ^\circ\text{C}} \]
4. Perform the division to find the heat capacity, which will have units of J/°C, indicating how much heat is needed to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius.
5. Interpret the result as the heat capacity of the substance, which tells you how much energy is required to change its temperature by a certain amount.