Halliday, Resnick & Walker — Temperature, Heat, and the First Law of Thermodynamics: Problem 34

Samples A and B are at different initial temperatures when they are placed in a thermally insulated container and allowed to come to thermal equilibrium. Figure 18.11a gives their temperatures \(T\) versus time \(t\). Sample A has a mass of \(5.0\text{ kg}\); sample B has a mass of \(1.5\text{ kg}\). Figure 18.11b is a general plot for the material of sample B. It shows the temperature change \(\Delta T\) that the material undergoes when energy is transferred to it as heat \(Q\). The change \(\Delta T\) is plotted versus the energy \(Q\) per unit mass of the material, and the scale of the vertical axis is set by \(\Delta T_s = 4.0\text{ C}^\circ\). What is the specific heat of sample A?