What is the mass of a piece of concrete that starts at 90°C, is immersed in a calorimeter with 350 g of water at 26.0°C, and causes the water to rise to a temperature of 33.0°C?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the concrete can be determined by using the principle of conservation of energy, where the heat lost by the concrete is equal to the heat gained by the water. The specific heat capacity of water is 4.18 J/g°C. The temperature change of the water is 33.0°C - 26.0°C = 7.0°C. The heat gained by the water is $Q = mc\Delta T = 350 \, \text{g} \times 4.18 \, \text{J/g°C} \times 7.0 \, \text{°C} = 10220 \, \text{J}$. Assuming the specific heat capacity of concrete is approximately 0.84 J/g°C (since it's not given, and this is a common value for concrete), the mass of the concrete can be calculated by rearranging the formula $Q = mc\Delta T$ to solve for $m$, where $Q = 10220 \, \text{J}$, $c = 0.84 \, \text{J/g°C}$, and $\Delta T = 90°C - 33°C = 57°C$. Thus, $m = \frac{Q}{c\Delta T} = \frac{10220}{0.84 \times 57} \approx 224.8 \, \text{g}$.

What Is the Mass of a Piece of Concrete That