SOLUTION: Calculate the specific heat of a metal (in calories/gram-degree C) from the following data. A container made of the metal has a mass of 3.80 kg and contains 16.3 kg of water. A 1.4

Algebra ->  Complex Numbers Imaginary Numbers Solvers and Lesson -> SOLUTION: Calculate the specific heat of a metal (in calories/gram-degree C) from the following data. A container made of the metal has a mass of 3.80 kg and contains 16.3 kg of water. A 1.4      Log On


   



Question 1067180: Calculate the specific heat of a metal (in calories/gram-degree C) from the following data. A container made of the metal has a mass of 3.80 kg and contains 16.3 kg of water. A 1.40 kg piece of the same metal, initially at a temperature of 150 degrees C, is placed in the water. The container and water initially have a temperature of 15 degrees C, and the final temperature of the entire system is 18 degrees C.
Answer by ikleyn(52903) About Me  (Show Source):
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Calculate the specific heat of a metal (in calories/gram-degree C) from the following data.
A container made of the metal has a mass of 3.80 kg and contains 16.3 kg of water. A 1.40 kg piece of the same metal,
initially at a temperature of 150 degrees C, is placed in the water.
The container and water initially have a temperature of 15 degrees C, and the final temperature of the entire system is 18 degrees C.
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A balance equation (the balance of thermal energy) is


C%5Bm%5D%2A3.8%2A%2818-15%29+%2B+C%5Bw%5D%2A16.3%2A%2818-15%29 = C%5Bm%5D%2A1.4%2A%28150-18%29.      (1)


    It says "amount of heat absorbed by the system to raise its temperature from 15°C to 18°C is the same as the amount of heat 
    lost by the metal piece when it cooled from 150°C to 15°C).


Here C%5Bm%5D is the specific heat of the metal  ( in calories/(gram-degree C) ), which is under the question),

     C%5Bw%5D is the specific heat of water  ( = 1 calorie/(gram-degree C) ).


From (1), express  C%5Bm%5D = %2816.3%2A%2818-15%29%29%2F%281.4%2A%28150-18%29+-+3.8%2A%2818-15%29%29 = 0.282 calorie/(gram-degree C)