An alloy sample is analyzed calorimetrically to determine its specific heat capacity. A 75.0 g piece of the alloy is heated to 150.0∘C and then quickly transferred into a coffee-cup calorimeter that contains 120.0 g of liquid water at 25.0∘C. The calorimeter itself has a heat capacity (calorimeter constant) of 35.0 J ∘C−1. After thermal equilibrium is reached, the final system temperature is 29.8∘C. The specific heat capacity of water is 4.18Jg−1∘C−1.
(a) Calculate the quantity of heat absorbed by the liquid water as it warms to the final temperature.
(b) Calculate the quantity of heat absorbed by the calorimeter itself.
(c) Using your answers to parts (a) and (b), determine the specific heat capacity (in J g−1∘C−1) of the alloy.
(d) The accepted specific heat capacity of brass is 0.380Jg−1∘C−1. Compute the percent error of the experimental value obtained in part (c) and identify two plausible sources of systematic error that could account for the discrepancy.