Introduction to Calorimetry and Specific Heat

Different substances absorb heat at unique rates based on their structural factors.
Heat Capacity: The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a specific sample by $1\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ .
Specific Heat: The energy required to raise the temperature of $1\,g$ of a substance by $1\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ .

The general equation for heat exchange using heat capacity is: $q = C \times \Delta T$
The practical equation for specific heat is: $q = m \times s \times \Delta T$
In the specific heat equation, $q$ represents heat, $m$ is mass in grams, $s$ is specific heat, and $\Delta T$ is the change in temperature.

Calorimetry is the process used to measure heat transfer during chemical or physical processes.
A coffee cup calorimeter acts as a standard introductory experiment because the cup serves as an effective insulator, minimizing heat loss to the surroundings.
The procedure involves transfering a heated metal (usually from boiling water) into a known volume of room temperature water and measuring the final equilibrium temperature.

The fundemental principle of these calculations is that the heat absorbed by the water is equal to the heat released by the metal: $q_{\text{water}} = q_{\text{metal}}$
To find the heat absorbed by the water, use the known specific heat of water and its measured $\Delta T$ .
The specific heat of the metal can be calculated by rearranging the equation and using the metal's mass and its $\Delta T$ (the difference between the boiling water temperature and the final temperature in the cup).
Determining specific heat allows for the identification of unknown metals by comparing values against known standards.