Chapter 9, Problem 4TE

To determine

The reason for not producing same increase in temperature by the addition of same amount of heat to two different objects.

Answer to Problem 4TE

The addition of the same amount of heat to two different objects does not necessarily produce the same increase in temperature because of the different heat capacities of the objects.

Explanation of Solution

The specific heat capacity of different objects in nature is different. So, different objects require different amounts of heat energy to increase the temperature. It is because each object utilizes the energy for different things.

The heat energy absorbed by the molecules in the object is used to increase the translational, vibrational and rotational motion of the molecules. The translational motion of molecules mainly contributes to the rise in temperature, while other motions have very few contributions. So, depending on the specific heat capacity, the temperature rise in different objects is different even if the heat supplied is the same.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the addition of the same amount of heat to two different objects does not necessarily produce the same increase in temperature because of the different heat capacities of the objects.