What variable represents specific heat in the equation [tex]$Q=m c \Delta T$[/tex]?
A. The variable [tex]$m$[/tex]
B. The variable [tex]$Q$[/tex]
C. The variable [tex]$c$[/tex]
D. The variable [tex]$T$[/tex]

The equation is Q = m c Δ T .
Q is heat, m is mass, c is specific heat, and Δ T is the change in temperature.
Therefore, the variable representing specific heat is c ​ .

Explanation

Understanding the Equation The equation given is Q = m c Δ T , where each variable represents a physical quantity. We need to identify which variable represents the specific heat.

Identifying Variables



Q represents the heat energy transferred to or from a substance.
m represents the mass of the substance.
c represents the specific heat capacity of the substance.
Δ T represents the change in temperature of the substance.


Determining Specific Heat From the above definitions, it is clear that the variable c represents the specific heat capacity.

Examples
Imagine you're heating water in a kettle. The specific heat ( c ) tells you how much energy ( Q ) you need to add for each kilogram ( m ) of water to raise its temperature by a certain amount ( Δ T ). Different materials have different specific heats; for example, water requires much more energy to heat up than metal. This concept is crucial in engineering for designing cooling systems, understanding climate patterns, and even in cooking for predicting how quickly food will heat up.

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-08

In the equation Q = m c Δ T , the variable that represents specific heat is c . Each variable in this equation corresponds to crucial physical quantities related to heat transfer. Understanding this concept is important for both practical applications and theoretical physics.
;

Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-26