High School

A 0.5 kg potato is being heated in an oven. The oven is maintained at 200 °C. The potato is initially at 25 °C. What is the total energy required to raise the temperature of the potato to 75 °C?

a) 30,000 J
b) 37,500 J
c) 45,000 J
d) 52,500 J

Answer :

Final answer:

To calculate the total energy required to raise the temperature of the potato, we can use the equation Q = mcΔT. First, calculate the energy required to raise the temperature from 25 °C to 100 °C. Then, calculate the energy required to raise the temperature from 100 °C to 75 °C. The total energy required is the sum of these energies.

Therefore, the correct answer is d) 52,500 J.

Explanation:

To calculate the total energy required to raise the temperature of the potato, we can use the equation Q = mcΔT, where Q represents the energy, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.

First, we need to calculate the energy required to raise the temperature from 25 °C to 100 °C. Since the specific heat capacity of potatoes is not provided, we can use the specific heat capacity of water as an approximation, which is 4.18 J/g°C.

Using the equation Q = mcΔT, we have Q = (0.5 kg)(4.18 J/g°C)(75 °C - 25°C) = 125 J.

Next, we need to calculate the energy required to raise the temperature from 100 °C to 75 °C. The specific heat capacity of potatoes decreases at higher temperatures, so we can use an average value of 3.4 J/g°C.

Using the equation Q = mcΔT, we have Q = (0.5 kg)(3.4 J/g°C)(100 °C - 75°C) = 42.5 J.

The total energy required is the sum of the energies calculated in the previous steps: 125 J + 42.5 J = 167.5 J. Therefore, the correct answer is d) 52,500 J.