A lab student drops a 400.0-g piece of metal at 120.0°C into a cup containing 450.0 g of water at 15.0°C.After waiting for a few minutes,the student measures that the final temperature of the system is 40.0°C.What is the specific heat of the metal,assuming that no significant thermal energy is exchanged with the surroundings or the cup? The specific heat of water is 4186 J/kg ∙ K.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The heat lost by the metal equals the heat gained by the water. Using the formula $ m \cdot c \cdot \Delta T $, we set up the equation: $ (0.4 \, \text{kg}) \cdot c \cdot (40 - 120) = (0.45 \, \text{kg}) \cdot 4186 \, \text{J/kg} \cdot (40 - 15) $. Solving for $ c $ gives approximately 1470 J/kg ∙ K.

A Lab Student Drops a 400