Question

What is the specific heat of the masses in this experiment? Infer the substance the masses are made of and explain your inference using your data as support. Based on your calculation of the metals specific heat what is the metal? Show your work.

Answer 1

The metal whose specific heat capacity is close to the obtained value is aluminum.

What is specific heat capacity

The specific heat capacity of an object is the heat required to raise a unit mass of the substance by 1 kelvin.

$Q= mc\Delta \theta$

where;

• c is the specific heat capacity
• Δθ is change in temperature

Let the mass of the water = 50 g

mass of the metal for this first trial = 50 g

The heat gained by the water is calculated as follows

$Q = 50 \times 4.184 \times 8.4\\\\Q = 1757.28 \ J$

Specific heat capacity of the metal for the first trial is calculated as follows;

Heat gained by water = Heat lost by metal

$C = \frac{Q}{m\Delta T} = \frac{1757.28}{50\times 8.4} = 4.184 \ J/g^oC$

Specific heat capacity of the metal for the second trial;

mass of metal = 200 - mass of water = 150 g

$C_2 = \frac{1757.28}{150 \times 15.2} = 0.77 \ J/g^oC$

Specific heat capacity of the metal for the third trial;

$C_3 = \frac{1757.28}{250 \times 20.8} = 0.34\ J/g^oC$

Specific heat capacity of the metal for the fourth trial;

$C_4 = \frac{1757.28}{350 \times 25.4} = 0.19\ J/g^oC$

Specific heat capacity of the metal for the fifth trial;

$C_5 = \frac{1757.28}{450 \times 29.6} = 0.13\ J/g^oC$

Average specific heat capacity

$C = \frac{4.184 + 0.77 + 0.34+ 0.19 + 0.13 }{5} = 1.12 \ J/g^oC = 1120 J/kg^oC$

The metal whose specific heat capacity is close to the above value is aluminum.

Learn more about specific heat capacity here: brainly.com/question/16559442