SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY IB COURSE COMPANION CH 3, P.

95-96
11.

Define and distinguish between thermak heat capacity and specific heat capacity.
When heat is provided to a body the temperature of the body will, in general, increase
The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of material by one degree Kelvin is called the specific
heat capacity, c, of the material. The units of specific heat capacity are J kg-1 K-1.
The product of mass times specific heat capacity defines the thermal heat capacity, C, of a body. C = mc.
We can now define the quantity of heat Q (thermal energy) transferred to a body: Q = mcT = CT
The concept of heat capacity is useful when a body consists of a number of different parts of different specific heat
capacities. We can define C of the body as the sum of mc for each different part.

12.

Explain why different substances have different specific heat capacities.

This should be understood in terms of the fact that unit masses of different substances contain different numbers of molecules
of different mass.
The reason that 1 kg of different materials shows different temperature increases when the same amount of heat, Q, is
provided to them is because 1 kg of different materials contains different numbers of molecules.

PHASES (STATES) OF MATTER AND LATENT HEAT IB COURSE COMPANION CH 3, P. 98

13. Describe the solid, liquid and gaseous states in terms of molecular structure and motion.
14. Describe and explain the process of phase changes in terms of molecular behaviour.
Only a simple model is required. The speed distribution in gases should be explained qualitatively. Students should be aware
how microscopic structure explains bulk behaviour.
Matter is found in four forms: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
The solid phase is characterized by high density and the molecules are in fixed positions.
The inter-molecular forces are strongest in the solid phase. They are responsible for keeping the molecules in their fixed
positions and for the large forces necessary to compress or stretch solids.
At low temperatures, the kinetic energy of molecules in a solid is very small compared to the energy needed to separate
two molecules a large distance apart
The average distance between molecules doesn't change and the material remains a solid
As the temperature continues to increase, the KE becomes comparable to the energy needed to separate the molecules
and they begin to separate. They abandon their positions and begin to separate. The solid is in phase transition and is
becoming aliquid
In the liquid phase, the density is less and the molecules are further apart. In this phase, the molecules are free to move about,
so the distance between them is not fixed.
Liquids do not have a fixed shape. They will take on the shape of their container. The inter-molecular forces are weaker,
but still present.
The molecules have some kinetic energy and move about (Unlike solids which essentially only vibrate)
As the temperature of a liquid increases, the kinetic energy increases until the molecules are able to break completely
free of each other. At this point, they begin to truly become free.
The liquid enters a phase transition and starts to become a gas.
In the gas (vapor) phase the molecules experience little resistance to motion and move freely about. The average distance
between molecules is quite large.
The intermolecular forces are so weak they are negligible.
Gases also have no fixed shape and they take on the size and shape of their container
The molecules have large amounts of kinetic energy
As the temperature continues to increase, the energy particles have reaches the level needed to break up individual
molecules into their constituent atoms (this happens through collisions between molecules).
As the energy / temperature increases even further, the atoms may be ionized -- electrons are stripped off through
collisions, creating the fourth phase, a plasma
15. Explain in terms of molecular behaviour why temperature does not change during a phase change.
We tend to think of thermal energy in terms of temperature and kinetic energy. However, this is not completely accurate.
As a solid is heated and the molecules begin to vibrate, their kinetic energy increases. At some point, the kinetic energy of the
molecules becomes great enough to allow the particles to begin to separate. When this occurs -- moving apart -- the energy
that is added does not increase kinetic energy but instead rearranges the molecules, increasing the potential energy between
them.
Since temperature and kinetic energy are directly related, but phase transitions are increasing potential energy, the
temperature does not increase.
For example, suppose we have a chunk of solid water (ice) at -10oC. As we transfer thermal energy to the ice, the temperature
of the solid rises to 0 oC. At this temperature, the ice molecules have enough energy to begin to separate. As we add more

16.

thermal energy to the ice we begin to see the ice melt and become liquid water (still at a temperature of 0 oC). When the
entire solid has melted, then the temperature of the water will begin to rise again as thermal energy continues to be added.
This same process occurs again when the liquid water reaches a temperature of 100 oC. This time the liquid transitions to a
gas (water vapor). The entire volume of liquid will become water vapor at 100 oC before the temperature of the vapor will
increase.
Define specific latent heat.
The heat (thermal energy) required to change the phase of a substance is called latent heat.
The heat required to change a unit mass from a solid to a liquid is called the specific latent heat of fusion, L f
The heat required to change a unit mass from a liquid to a gas is called the specific latent heat of vaporization, L v
Specific latent heat has units of J kg-1
To calculate the heat required to change the phase of a mass, m, of a substance use Q = mL