A 250g sample of an unknown metal releases 5.9x10^4J as it cools from 35 to 15 degrees Celsius. What is the specific heat of the sample? Please help!

What is specific heat capacity? You should know its meaning to answer the question. Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one Kelvin.

This question is rather a question of physics. Anyway, work out the amount of energy needed to decrease the temperature from 35 to 15 degrees Celsius (or you can convert it to Kelvin if you want, but the answer will be the same).

This energy is for 250 g. So by proportion, work out the amount of energy needed for one kilogram, or 1000 g.

Hope it helped.

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Originally Posted by Anya920

A 250g sample of an unknown metal releases 5.9x10^4J as it cools from 35 to 15 degrees celcius. What is the specific heat of the sample? Please help!

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So once that I have the numbers I'm still confused how do I find the answer what formula do I use? I'm so lost

READ my post carefully! Its in pretty simple english.

1. Ok well, the change in temperature is (35-15) = 20 K
2. Energy to released during the decrease for 20 K = 5.9 x 10^4 J
3. Energy released for each Kelvin = 5.9 x 10^4 / 20 = (you work that out)
4. Energy for 250g of sample per Kelvin = (ans in 3.)
5. Energy for 1 kg, i.e. 1000g per Kelvin, that is also Specific Heat Cap=(ans in 3.)1000/250
=(ans in 3.) x 4