A calorimeter is an insulated container filled with a liquid, usually water. When a hot object is placed in the calorimeter, heat energy is transferred from the object to the water and the water heats up. 


Calorimeters can be used to find a substance’s specific heat capacity. You will use Calorimetry to determine the specific heat capacities of a metal.

 

Substance Mass (g) Initial Temp (C) Final Temp (C) Specific Heat (J/gC) Heat transferred/q (Joules)
 

 

          
Water

 

       4.18  

 

 

Calculate the specific heat capacities of your metal

1. When you mix two substances, the heat gained by one substance is equal to the heat lost by the other substance. Using specific heat equation, determine how much heat energy the water gained (q).

 

 

2. Assume that the heat energy gained by the water is equal to the heat energy lost by the metal. Use the specific heat equation to solve for the specific heat of metal.

 

 

3. Look up the theoretical specific heat of your metal. Compare the theoretical value with what your calculated experimental value. Why are they different?


 

4. Suppose you place 125 g of aluminum in a calorimeter with 1,000 g of water. The water changes temperature by 2 °C and the aluminum changes temperature by –74.95 °C.


 

  1. Water has a known specific heat capacity of 4.184 J/g °C. Use the specific heat equation to find out how much heat energy the water gained (q).


 

  1. Use the specific heat equation to solve for the specific heat of aluminum. (Hint: Because heat energy is lost, the value of q is negative.) Aluminum’s accepted specific heat value is 0.900 J/g °C. Use this value to check your work.


5. The specific heat of iron metal is 0.450J/g-K. How many J of heat are necessary to raise the temperature of a 1.05 kg block of iron from 25.0◦C to 88.5◦C?