Why did the student insulate the beaker of water? Tick (✓) one box - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2019 - Paper 1

One risk to the student caused by this hazard is that they may experience a scald or burn if they come into contact with the hot water.

The resolution of the thermometer is 1 °C.

The mass of the beaker was 0.06 kg.

To calculate the specific heat capacity (c) of water, we can use the formula:

$Q = mc riangle T$

Where:

• Q is the heat energy absorbed (which can be calculated as 26,400 J),
• m is the mass of the water (0.20 kg),
• and riangle T is the temperature change (30 °C).

Rearranging the formula for specific heat capacity gives us: $c = \frac{Q}{m \cdot \triangle T}$

Plugging in the numbers: $c = \frac{26400}{0.20 \cdot 30} = 4400 \, J/kg \cdot °C$

Thus, the specific heat capacity of water is 4400 J/kg°C.