Question

if a stove supplies the same amount of heat to both an iron pan and a copper pan of equal masses, which pan will be at a higher temperature after heating for 5 minutes?

Answer 1

The question can be addressed by means of specific heat, which is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1gm of a substance by 1^o centigrade.

Specific heat of iron is 0.450J/g^oC and that of copper is 0.385 J/g^oC. Thus for the same masses of iron and copper pan heated for the same time, more amount of energy is required for iron than that of copper (Since specific heat of iron is more than that of copper). As a result of which after 5min copper pan will be at a higher temperature.