Which is the metric standard for measuring energy? Which unit is used for specific heat capacity? If you wanted to compare the abilities of olive oil and peanut oil to gain or lose thermal energy, which unit would you use
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answers:
- Metric standard for measuring energy: Joule (J)
- Unit used for specific heat capacity: Joule per gram per degree Celsius (J/g°C) or Joule per kilogram per Kelvin (J/kg·K)
- Unit for comparing thermal energy gain/loss of olive oil and peanut oil: Specific heat capacity (J/g°C or J/kg·K)
Explanation:
In the metric system, energy is measured using the Joule (J), named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule. One Joule is defined as the energy transferred when one newton of force is applied over a distance of one meter. It is a universal unit used to quantify all forms of energy, including thermal, mechanical, and electrical.
Specific heat capacity refers to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius (or one Kelvin). Its standard metric unit is either J/g°C (joules per gram per degree Celsius) or J/kg·K (joules per kilogram per Kelvin), depending on whether grams or kilograms are used for mass. These units reflect how much energy a substance can absorb or release when its temperature changes.
If you want to compare how olive oil and peanut oil respond to heating or cooling, you would use their specific heat capacities. This is because specific heat capacity directly tells you how much energy is required to change the temperature of each substance. A higher specific heat means the substance can absorb more energy without a large change in temperature, while a lower specific heat means it heats up or cools down faster.
For example, if olive oil has a specific heat capacity of about 1.97 J/g°C and peanut oil is around 2.01 J/g°C, peanut oil can absorb slightly more thermal energy per gram before increasing in temperature, making it slightly more thermally stable. Comparing these values using the J/g°C unit allows for a clear, quantitative analysis of how each oil stores and transfers heat.
