Table of Contents
Why does aluminum have a higher specific heat than copper?
Sample Complete Student Response: The aluminum’s temperature changed less than the copper’s did under the same conditions. Thus, the aluminum must require more energy to change its temperature. Therefore, aluminum has the higher specific heat.
How many times greater is the specific heat for aluminum compared to copper?
An equal mass of water in the same sun will not become nearly as hot. We would say that water has a high heat capacity (the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by 1°C.)…Heat Capacity and Specific Heat.
| Substance | Specific Heat (J/g°C) |
|---|---|
| Aluminum (s) | 0.897 |
| Carbon, graphite (s) | 0.709 |
| Copper (s) | 0.385 |
| Gold (s) | 0.129 |
Which substance would heat up the slowest?
Water, having the largest specific heat, heats up the slowest while absorbing heat. This results in water having more stored heat within compared to other substances undergoing the same temperature change.
Why does aluminium have a low specific heat capacity?
Anything with a low density will have fewer degrees of freedom per gram, by definition, and therefore a lower specific heat. If you compare molar heat capacities, then Al is about the same as any other metal (e.g. Al 24.3 J/K-mol, Cu 24.5 J/K-mol) and not very different from air (e.g. N2 21 J/K-mol).
Why does aluminum have a low specific heat capacity?
Metal atoms in pure metal are very close together and are able to transfer heat easily via conduction from one atom exciting the other atoms next to it. So the amount of energy it takes to heat a metal is relatively small to that of water for example.
Does copper have a low specific heat capacity?
A substance with a low specific heat requires relatively little heat to raise its temperature (copper has a low specific heat).
Why does copper have a low specific heat capacity?