Question

How is $Q=m.c.\Delta T$ used. What are the variables, what are the units and how does it work?

Answer 1

Hint: the above equation basically shows the relation between the total amount of the heat specific heat capacity of the material and change in the temperature of the material.

Complete answer:
First let’s write the given formula and understand the variable units given in the formula.
$Q=m.c.\Delta T$
Where, Q = amount of the heat supplied
m = mass of the material
c = specific heat capacity of the material
∆T = change in the temperature.
Now let’s understand variables one by one with their units.
Variable Q:
Q is the heat supplied which is defined as it is the form of the energy that is transferred between systems.
The unit of the heat is joule and it is denoted by J.
m is the mass of the object which is defined as the amount of the matter in an object and the unit of the mass is kilogram and denoted by kg.
Variable c:
c is the specific heat of the material and it is defined as the quantity of the heat required to increase by 1 degree Celsius the temperature of one gram of any material.
The unit of the specific heat is J/kg. k
Variable ∆T:
It is total change in the temperature which is given by $\Delta T=\left( {{T}_{f}}-{{T}_{i}} \right)$
Where, $\Delta T$= temperature difference.
${{T}_{f}}$= final temperature of an object.
${{T}_{i}}$= initial temperature of an object.
Unit of the temperature is degree Celsius and is denoted by $\left( ^{o}C \right)$

Note:
As an approach to know variables and the unit of the given formula first we define all the variables and write down their respective units which are in short given as.
Q = amount of the heat supplied (J)
c = specific heat. (J/kg. k)
m = mass of the object (kg)
$\Delta T$ = temperature difference $\left( ^{o}C \right)$