Suppose we have a cube containing one mole of gold and another cube containing one mole of aluminum. (The gold cube has more than 7 times the mass of the aluminum cube.) Both are initially at room temperature. Suppose that we increase the temperature of each by $10 \mathrm{~K}$. Which cube's thermal energy likely has increased more?
A) The gold cube
B) The aluminum cube
C) Each cube's internal energy increase is about the same.
D) One cannot say without measuring.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The increase in thermal energy depends on the number of moles and the specific heat capacity. Since both cubes contain one mole, and the temperature increase is the same, the increase in thermal energy is about the same for both cubes.

Suppose We Have a Cube Containing One Mole of Gold 10 K10 \mathrm{~K}10 K

Suppose We Have a Cube Containing One Mole of Gold $10 \mathrm{~K}$