Step 1: Understanding the Problem
A cylinder contains helium gas at standard temperature and pressure (STP). The volume of the cylinder is 44.8 litres. We need to calculate the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of the gas by 20.0°C.
Step 2: Calculating the Number of Moles of Helium
At STP, 1 mole of an ideal gas occupies 22.4 litres. Therefore, the number of moles (\( n \)) of helium in 44.8 litres is:
\[
n = \frac{44.8 \, \text{litres}}{22.4 \, \text{litres/mol}} = 2 \, \text{moles}.
\]
Step 3: Using the Heat Capacity at Constant Volume
For a monatomic gas like helium, the molar heat capacity at constant volume (\( C_v \)) is:
\[
C_v = \frac{3}{2} R.
\]
Given \( R = 8.3 \, \text{JK}^{
1} \text{mol}^{
1} \):
\[
C_v = \frac{3}{2} \times 8.3 = 12.45 \, \text{JK}^{
1} \text{mol}^{
1}.
\]
Step 4: Calculating the Heat Required
The heat (\( Q \)) required to raise the temperature by \( \Delta T = 20.0°C \) is:
\[
Q = n C_v \Delta T.
\]
Substituting the values:
\[
Q = 2 \times 12.45 \times 20 = 498 \, \text{J}.
\]
Step 5: Matching with the Options
The calculated heat required is 498 J, which corresponds to option (C).
Final Answer: The amount of heat needed is 498 J.