Calculating Heat Needed to Melt Metal

  • Thread starter Thread starter Weave
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Heat Metal
AI Thread Summary
To calculate the heat needed to melt a metal, the equation Q=Mc(T_m-T_o) is used to determine the energy required to raise the metal's temperature to its melting point. However, this only accounts for heating the metal and does not include the energy needed for the phase change from solid to liquid. The total heat required is Q=Mc(T_m-T_o) + ML, where L represents the latent heat of fusion. Without the value of L, the problem cannot be fully solved. Understanding both the heating and phase change processes is essential for an accurate calculation.
Weave
Messages
143
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Ok this one is easy I just want to make sure:
A metal of mass M is in a smelter at temperature T_{o}.
How much heat does it take to melt the metal. Given: heat capacity, melting point T_{m}


Homework Equations


Q=Mc\Delta T

The Attempt at a Solution


So it would be simply
Q=Mc(T_{m}-T_{o})
Right?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
That's just the energy required to heat the metal up to the melting point, what about the actual phase change (i.e. latent heat)?
 
so \frac{Q}{M}=L Q being the previous answer from Q=Mc\Delta T
 
it should be Q=Mc\Delta T + ML if you melt solid to liquid

Q=Mc\Delta T (unchange state)
Q=ML (change state)
 
Weave said:
so \frac{Q}{M}=L Q being the previous answer from Q=Mc\Delta T

So I am incorrect?
 
Weave said:
so \frac{Q}{M}=L Q being the previous answer from Q=Mc\Delta T
Q isn't necessarily that from the previous answer.
 
so..what I am I looking for?
 
Weave said:
so..what I am I looking for?
I'd be tempted to say that the question isn't answerable unless your given L; but I'm willing to learn...
 
Back
Top