The heat capacity of a substance is defined as the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a given mass of the substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin). In this case, we can calculate the heat capacity of water using the provided information.
The formula to calculate the heat transferred is:
Q = mcΔT
Where: Q is the heat transferred (in joules), m is the mass of the substance (in grams), c is the specific heat capacity of the substance (in joules per gram per degree Celsius), ΔT is the change in temperature (in degrees Celsius).
Given: m = 250 g ΔT = 75°C - 50°C = 25°C Q = 5000 J
Plugging in the values, the equation becomes:
5000 J = (250 g) * c * (25°C)
Simplifying the equation:
5000 J = 6250 g * c
Now, we can solve for c by dividing both sides of the equation by 6250 g:
5000 J / 6250 g = c
c ≈ 0.8 J/g°C
Therefore, the heat capacity of water is approximately 0.8 joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g°C).