How to Calculate Specific Heat of the metal?

How to calculate specific heat (aluminum)?

• Please, help me! Check for errors please if you can. Also, help with the rest if possible. This chemistry work is frustrating and I'm just not getting it. :( Please, help. Mass of Al metal: 100.00g Volume of water in Calorimeter: 150g Mass of water in Calorimeter (use 1g per ml): 100ml Initial Temperature of metal: 20 C Initial Temperature of water: 20 C Final Temperature (both metal and water): 34 C Determine the heat gained by the water (show your work): It started at 20 C and ended at 34 C so it gained 14 C. Q water = 14 C Q Al = 14 C Determine the specific heat of the metal (show your work): C Al = Determine the atomic weight of your metal: Look up the actual atomic weight on your periodic table. Determine your percent error using the equation from assignment 2.04 (show your work).

• Answer:

  For the first one, the heat gained by water, they don't want the temperature difference they want the heat (in Joules) that was gained. It's different. I don't really understand this part: Volume of water in Calorimeter: 150g - volume should be in mL or Liters Mass of water in Calorimeter (use 1g per ml): 100ml - mass should be in grams Since the density of water is 1, if you have 150g then you have 150mL. Specific Heat Capacity of Water: 4.184 J/g*degC Water gained 14 C so (4.184)*(14)*(150) =8786.4 J And that is the heat gained by water. To determine specific heat of the metal, you need the equation: q=mc(deltaT) where c is the specific heat. I think you are missing some information here...but the specific heat of aluminum is 0.9 J/g*C. I can't see how you'd calculate it with the given information. Try reading this website to help you learn about calorimetry: http://www.cdli.ca/courses/chem3202/unit03_org03_ilo01/b_activity.html