I figuring out the kg of ice can you melt

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In summary, the conversation revolves around a question regarding the amount of ice that can be melted with a given amount of heat. The equation for heat is discussed, with a hint to use the equation for changing the phase of a substance. The concept of sensible heat and latent heat is also mentioned. The person asking for help is struggling and needs further clarification in order to pass a test the following day.
  • #1
cwalker8184
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Homework Statement



The exact question is "how many kg of ice can you melt, assuming it is at the melting point, with 178,000 cal of heat"

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I can't give any other imformation. I have know idea where to even, start with solving this problem. I really need help! Big test tomorrow...
 
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  • #2
Well how much Joules is 178,000 calories? What formula will show you the energy required to melt 'm' kilograms of ice? (Hint: what equation do you use for heat required to change the phase of a substance? Not sensible heat but?)
 
  • #3
The equation for heat I believe is Q = mcΔT or Q=cpmΔT
I am still totally lost. I have no ideas how many joules are in 178,000 calories all this looks pretty foreign to me. I need help breaking this down, to have any chance of passing this test tomorrow.
 
  • #4
cwalker8184 said:
The equation for heat I believe is Q = mcΔT or Q=cpmΔT

Right, that's the equation if I want to find how much heat I need to raise the temperature of something. That's called sensible heat.


cwalker8184 said:
I am still totally lost. I have no ideas how many joules are in 178,000 calories all this looks pretty foreign to me. I need help breaking this down, to have any chance of passing this test tomorrow.

Have you ever heard of latent heat?
 
  • #5


As a scientist, it is important to have all the necessary information in order to solve a problem accurately. In this case, the question is asking for the amount of ice that can be melted with a given amount of heat. However, there are a few missing pieces of information that would be needed to provide a specific answer.

Firstly, we would need to know the specific heat capacity of ice in order to calculate the amount of heat required to melt a certain amount of ice. This value varies depending on the type of ice (e.g. solid, crushed, etc.) and the temperature at which it is being melted.

Additionally, we would need to know the initial temperature of the ice. This is because the amount of heat required to melt ice also depends on its initial temperature.

Once we have these pieces of information, we can use the equation Q = m x c x ΔT to calculate the mass of ice that can be melted with 178,000 calories of heat. Q represents the amount of heat, m represents the mass of the ice, c represents the specific heat capacity of ice, and ΔT represents the change in temperature from the initial temperature of the ice to its melting point (0°C).

Without these necessary pieces of information, it would not be possible to accurately solve this problem. Therefore, it is important to always have all the necessary information before attempting to solve a scientific problem.
 

1. How do you calculate the mass of ice that can be melted?

To calculate the mass of ice that can be melted, you will need to know the density of ice and the amount of heat energy required to melt ice. The formula for this calculation is: mass = heat energy / specific heat capacity x temperature change. By plugging in the values for density and heat energy, you can determine the mass of ice that can be melted.

2. What is the specific heat capacity of ice?

The specific heat capacity of ice is 2.09 joules/gram degrees Celsius. This means that it takes 2.09 joules of energy to raise the temperature of 1 gram of ice by 1 degree Celsius.

3. How much heat energy is required to melt 1 kg of ice?

The amount of heat energy required to melt 1 kg of ice is 334,000 joules. This is calculated by multiplying the mass of ice (1 kg) by the latent heat of fusion of ice (334 J/g).

4. Can the mass of ice that can be melted vary depending on the temperature?

Yes, the mass of ice that can be melted can vary depending on the temperature. This is because the specific heat capacity of ice changes with temperature, and therefore the amount of heat energy required to melt the ice will also change.

5. Is it possible to melt all the ice with just heat energy?

No, it is not possible to melt all the ice with just heat energy. This is because there is a limit to the amount of heat energy that can be used to melt ice, known as the latent heat of fusion. Once this limit is reached, the remaining ice will not melt unless more heat energy is added or the temperature is increased.

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