Thermodynamics Heat Calculation Problem

[wallace13]

Calculate the heat that must be supplied to a 500g copper kettle containig 750 g of water to raise its temperature from 23 degrees to the boiling point of water, 100 degrees.



q=MCT



qwater= 750 x 4.184 x 77= 241626 J

qcopper= 550 x .38 x 77= 16093 J

241626 + 16093 = 257719 J


The answer in the back of the book says 26000. So I'm not sure if its right and they rounded up or I did it wrong and just got lucky that my answer was close.

 

[Ygggdrasil]

Your answer is correct, but has the wrong number of significant figures. If you use the correct number of significant figures, your answer will also be 260 kJ (I assume you meant the book's answer was 260000 J, not 26000 J).

 

[Blueshift5]

it is important to always double check and verify our calculations to ensure accuracy. In this case, the answer in the book may have been rounded up to the nearest thousand, resulting in a slight difference from the calculated answer. However, it is always good practice to show your work and explain your reasoning, as you have done in your response. This allows for better understanding and potential for identifying any errors. In this case, your calculations seem correct and it is likely that the discrepancy is due to rounding.