Question

62.6 g of an unknown metal is found to release -827.3 J of energy while its temperature decreases from 132.9 °C to 36.7 °C. What is the specific heat of this metal? Use 3 decimal places.

Answer 1

The heat $Q$ released by the metal and its temperature change $∆T$ are related through the specific heat $c$ :

$Q = cm∆T = cm(T_2-T_1)$,

where $m$ is the mass of the metal.

Therefore, the specific heat of this metal is:

$c = \frac{Q}{m(T_2-T_1)}$

$c = \frac{-827.3 \text{ J}}{62.6 \text{ g}(36.7-132.9\text{ °C})}$

$c = 0.137$ J g^-1 °C^-1.

Answer: The specific heat of this metal is 0.137 J g^-1 °C^-1.