In: Physics
Calculate the specific heat of a metal (in calories/gram-degree C) from the following data. A container made of the metal has a mass of 3.10 kg and contains 11.1 kg of water. A 1.10 kg piece of the same metal, initially at a temperature of 140 degrees C, is placed in the water. The container and water initially have a temperature of 15 degrees C, and the final temperature of the entire system is 18 degrees C.
Specific heat of water 
Let the specific heat of metal 
Mass of the block 
Initial temperature of metal block 
Final temperature of metal block 
∴ Heat lost by metal block 
Container is made of same metal.
So, specific heat of container = specific heat of metal
So, specific heat of container 
Mass of the container 
Initial temperature of container 
Final temperature of container 
∴ Heat gained by container 
specific heat of water 
Mass of the water 
Initial temperature of water 
Final temperature of water 
∴ Heat gained by water 
By conservation of energy,
Heat gained by water + Heat gained by container = Heat lost by metal block


So, the specific heat of metal 