Question

What equation would you use to calculate the heat released when a solid melts?

Answer 1

Answer:

H = mc∆t (metal solid)

H = mLice + mc∆t (ice)

Explanation:

Heat capacity is the energy needed to change the state of a substance through the application of heat thereby causing rise in temperature of the object.

For a solid object e.g metal to melt, the equation used will be

H = mc∆t where;

m is the mass of the metal

c is the specific heat capacity of the metal

∆t is the change in temperature of the metal.

For solid object like ice, the equation to use to calculate the heat released when it melts is given as

H = m1Lice +m2c∆t where;

m1 is the mass of the ice and

Lice is the latent heat of fusion of ice

m2 is the mass of water (after melting)

c is the specific heat capacity of the water

∆t is the change in temperature of the water

Note that m1=m2 since the same mass of ice is the one that melts to water.

Answer 2

The equation to be used to calculate the heat release when solid melts is the enthalpy of melting. It is represented as H = mCpT where H is the heat released after phase change, m is the mass of the substance, Cp is the specific heat capacity of the substance and T is the change in temperature.