A 2.57g sample of a substance suspected of being pure gold is warmed to 72.0∘C and submerged into 15.2g of water initially at 24.8∘C. The final temperature of the mixture is 26.3∘C. What is the heat capacity of the unknown substance?

Question

A 2.57g sample of a substance suspected of being pure gold is warmed to 72.0∘C and submerged into 15.2g of water initially at 24.8∘C. The final temperature of the mixture is 26.3∘C.  What is the heat capacity of the unknown substance?

joannablackwelder · Answer

I would use the heat capacity of water, with its known mass and initial and final temp to calculate the heat absorbed by the water. This must be the heat released from the unknown substance, assuming we did not lose any to the surroundings (a normal assumption in these types of problems). I would then use the heat, mass, and initial and final temps to calculate the heat capacity.