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

A risk to the student caused by this hazard is the potential to scald or burn their skin.

The resolution of the thermometer is 1 °C, as it represents the smallest change in temperature that the thermometer can measure.

The mass of the beaker is 0.06 kg.

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

$c = \frac{Q}{m \Delta T}$

where:

• Q is the heat energy absorbed, which can be calculated as 26,400 J (based on the given values),
• m is the mass of the water (0.20 kg), and
• ΔT is the change in temperature (30 °C).

Substituting in the values:

$c = \frac{26,400}{0.20 \times 30} = \frac{26,400}{6} = 4,400 \, J/kg°C$

Thus, the specific heat capacity of water is 4,400 J/kg°C.