Answer to Question #111633 in General Chemistry for riley

Question

Lana is using a calorimeter to determine the specific heat of a metallic sample. She measures out 135.3 grams of her metal and heats it to 79.5 degrees Celsius. Then, she puts the sample into a calorimeter containing 12.72 grams of water at 49.1 degrees Celsius. She measures the temperature of the water in the calorimeter until the number stops changing, then records the final temperature to be 70.6 degrees Celsius. What is the specific heat of the metal? Please answer to three digits after the decimal point.

Answer 1

DelQ = C*m*delT

DelQ= Heat absorbed or released

C= Specific Heat

m= Mass

delT= Change in temperature

At first we have to calculate the change in heat of the water

DelQ = 4.184 * 12.72*( 70.6 - 49.1)

= 1144. 24 Joule

Noe The heat absorbed by the metal = - Heat change of water = - 1144.24 Joule

Specific heat of Metal,

C = (-1144.24)/(135.3*(70.6 - 79.5)

=0.107J /gC