I recently did a lab where we used a Styrofoam coffee cup calorimeter to determine the specific heat of an unknown metal. We just determined our "calorimeter constant." We now have to re-do all of our prior calculations to include this new constant. I may have written down the wrong equation, so could someone show me an example given the following information?
Heat capacity of calorimeter: 41.6 J/gC
Mass of metal: 43.0760g
Mass of water: 20.6314g
Delta T water: 21.1 C
Delta T metal: -57.9
from the energy balance
energy released by metal = energy gained by water+ energy taken by the calorimeter
energy releated by metal = mass of metal* specific heat* change in temperature,
Let C= specific heat of metal
energy released= 43.0670*C*57.9
energy released to water = mass of water* specific heat of water* change in temperature= 20.6314*4.184*21.1 =1821.4 joules
energy taken by calorimeter= heat capacity of calorimeter* temperature rise = 41.6*21.1=878
henc 43.067*C*57.9= 1821.4+878=2699.4
C= 1.082 J/gm.deg.c
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