An object with a mass of #150 g# is dropped into #500 mL# of water at #0^@C#. If the object cools by #72 ^@C# and the water warms by #3 ^@C#, what is the specific heat of the material that the object is made of?

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Answer 1 · 2017-10-14T09:52:31

Probably Scandium (Sc) at #0.58111J/(g°C)#

#Q=mc∆T#
#=>c=Q/(m∆T)#

For water:

What we know-

#c=4.184J/g°C#

#m=500g#

#∆T=3°C#

#therefore Q=4.184J/(g°C)*500g*3°C#

#=>Q=6276J#

For object:

What we know-

#m=150g#

#∆T=-72°C# (The object cools)

Since heat gained #(Q)# by water is the heat lost #(-Q)# by the object,

#Q_"water"=-Q_"object"#

So, #c=(-6276J)/(150g*-72°C)#

#=>c=0.58111J/(g°C)#

Which is a little over the the specific heat of Scandium (Sc) which is #0.5677J/(g°C)#.

But as we have made a lot of assumptions over here, the material is probably Scandium.