Question

A thermally isolated system is made up of a hot piece of aluminum and a cold piece of copper; the aluminum and the copper are in thermal contact. The specific heat capacity of aluminum is more than double that of copper. Which object experiences the greater temperature change during the time the system takes to reach thermal equilibrium?

Answer 1

Answer:

copper will have more change in temperature as compare with aluminum

Explanation:

Hot piece of copper is made in contact with cold piece of aluminium

So here thermal energy transfer will take place from copper to aluminium

so by energy conservation we can say that heat given by copper is same as the heat absorbed by aluminium.

now we have

$m_1s_1\Delta T_1 = m_2s_2\Delta T_2$

here we know that

$s_1$ = specific heat capacity of copper

$s_2$ = specific heat capacity of aluminum

given that specific heat capacity of aluminium is more than double that of copper

so we can say

$s_2 = 2s_1$

so here if the mass of copper and aluminium is same then

$\Delta T_1 = 2 \Delta T_2$

so temperature change of copper is twice the temperature change of aluminium

So copper will have more change in temperature as compare with aluminum