A student places a 100.0°C piece of metal that weighs 85.5 g into 122 mL of 16.0°C water. If the final temperature is 20.2°C, what is the specific heat of the metal?

The specific heat of the metal is 0.314 J/g°C

Explanation:

Step 1: data given

Temperature of the piece of metal = 100.0 °C

Mass of the metal = 85.5 grams

Volume of water = 122 mL = 122 grams

Temperature of water = 16.0 °C

The final temperature of water = 20.2 °C

The specific heat of water = 4.184 J/g°C

Step 2: Calculate the specific heat of metal

Heat gained= heat lost

Qgained = - Qlost

Qwater = -Qmetal

Q = m*c* ΔT

m(metal)*c(metal)*ΔT(metal) = -m(water)*c(water)*ΔT(water)

⇒m(metal) = mass of metal = 85.5 grams

⇒c(metal) = the specific heat of metal = TO BE DETERMINED

⇒ΔT(metal) = the change of temperature of metal = T2 - T1 = 20.2 - 100 °C =  -79.8 °C

⇒m(water) = the mass of water = 122 grams

⇒c(water) = the specific heat of water = 4.184 J/g°C

⇒ΔT(water) = the change of temperature of metal = T2 - T1 = 20.2 - 16.0 °C =  4.2 °C

85.5 *c(metal) * -79.8 = -122 * 4.184 * 4.2

c(metal) * (-6822.9) = -2143.9

c(metal) = 0.314 J/g°C

The specific heat of the metal is 0.314 J/g°C

elements make up everything, and they combine to make compounds.

the answer is c