In: Physics
A 0.26 kg iron horseshoe that is initially at 787 ◦C is dropped into a bucket containing 20 kg of water at 34◦C. What is the final equilibrium temperature? Neglect any energy transfer to or from the surroundings and assume the specific heat of iron is 448 J/kg · ◦ C . The specific heat of water is 4186 J/kg · ◦ C . Answer in units of ◦C
It is based on the law of conservation of energy, which says that energy is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. In calorimetry, this means that the heat gained by the water in the calorimeter must have been released by the sample or the reaction taking place in the calorimeter.