National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

The correct choice regarding the comparison of solid X and solid Y is that solid Y must have a lower specific heat. Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

In this scenario, both solids start at the same temperature (10°C) and absorb the same amount of heat energy (5 joules). However, solid X only increases its temperature to 15°C, while solid Y reaches a temperature of 20°C. This indicates that solid Y has a greater temperature change (ΔT) for the same amount of heat absorbed compared to solid X. Since the specific heat is given by the formula:

\[ \text{Specific Heat} = \frac{\text{Heat Energy}}{\text{Mass} \times \Delta T} \]

we can infer that if solid Y experiences a larger temperature change with the same amount of energy input, it must have a lower specific heat compared to solid X. Having a lower specific heat means that it requires less energy for a given increase in temperature, which aligns with the observations from the heating of both solids.

The analysis of other options shows they do not relate to the context of this question. Heat