Wkst: Spec Ht Metal
Name___________________________
Example Specific Heat of a Metal:
Given the following data determined in a lab, what is the specific heat of this metal?
Mass of empty Styrofoam cup
Mass of metal
Mass of Styrofoam cup and water
Temperature of water in cup
Temperature of water in beaker
Temperature of water and metal in cup after 3 minutes
2.0 grams
48 grams
98 grams
22°C
100 °C
250C
Remember, -Qm=Qw.
Therefore, -mwcw∆Tw=mmcm∆Tm
1. Figure out from the laboratory data what mw and ∆Tw would be.
2. Figure out from the laboratory data what mm and ∆Tm would be.
3. You know what the specific heat of water is.
4. Plug everything into the equation. There is only one variable that you don’t know – and that’s the specific
heat of the metal. Solve for the specific heat of the metal!
mw = mass of Styrofoam cup and water – mass of empty Styrofoam cup = 96 g
∆Tw = The final temperature of the water – the initial temperature of the water = 30C
mm = 48 grams (directly measured!)
∆Tm = The final temperature of the metal – the initial temperature of the metal = -750C
PLUG-N-CHUG: - (96g)(4.184 J/g0C)(30C) = (48g)( cm)(-750C)
cm = 0.335 J/g0C
1. Given the following data determined in a lab, what is the specific heat of this metal?
Mass of empty Styrofoam cup
Mass of metal
Mass of Styrofoam cup and water
Temperature of water in cup
Temperature of water in beaker
Temperature of water and metal in cup after 3 minutes
2.0 grams
55 grams
102 grams
22°C
100 °C
25°C
2. ONLY DO THIS IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PRACTICE: Given the following data determined in
a lab, what is the specific heat of this metal?
Mass of empty Styrofoam cup
Mass of metal
Mass of Styrofoam cup and water
Temperature of water in cup
Temperature of water in beaker
Temperature of water and metal in cup after 3 minutes
3.
2.0 grams
55 grams
102.0
grams
22°C
100. °C
25°C
Sources of Error: suppose that you were sloppy about measuring the temperature of the water in the cup
initially, and it was actually higher than the number that you wrote down. What would that do to the
calculated value of the specific heat of the metal?