Question

Some homes that use baseboard heating use copper tubing. hot water runs through and heats the copper tubing, which in turn heats aluminum fins. it is actually the aluminum fins that heat the air rising through the fins. how much energy would it take to heat a section of the copper tubing that weighs about 645.0 g , from 13.20 âc to 28.22 âc ? copper has a specific heat of 0.3850 (j/g)ââc.

Answer 1

When you heat a certain substance with a difference of temperature $\Delta T$ the heat (energy) you must give to it is
$E(=Q) =mc\Delta T$
where $c$ is the specific heat of that substance (given in J/(g*Celsius))
In this case
$E=645*0.3850*(28.22-13.20) =3729.8 (Joule)$

Observation: the specific heat of a substance is given in J/(g*Celsius) or J/(g*Kelvin)  because on the temperature scale a difference of 1 degree Celsius = 1 degree Kelvin