heat lost by water = heat gained by unknown
your method is fine
So I assume you would do
Qmct = qmct
And then solve for the q of the unknown and then plug the q into the specific latent formula and solve for the lf? I don't think that's right though, I'm not sure. I would really appreciate the help!
your method is fine
First, let's calculate the heat lost by the water using the formula Q = mcΔt, where Q is the heat lost, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and Δt is the change in temperature.
Q_water = m_water * c_water * Δt_water
Q_water = 2kg * c_water * (50°C - 45°C)
Q_water = 10kg°C * c_water
Now, let's calculate the heat gained by the unknown liquid using the same formula.
Q_unknown = m_unknown * c_unknown * Δt_unknown
Q_unknown = 1.5kg * c_unknown * (45°C - 17°C)
Q_unknown = 28.5kg°C * c_unknown
Since we assume no heat is lost to the environment, the heat lost by the water is equal to the heat gained by the unknown liquid.
Q_water = Q_unknown
10kg°C * c_water = 28.5kg°C * c_unknown
Now we can solve for c_unknown:
c_unknown = (10kg°C * c_water) / (28.5kg°C)
So, to find the specific heat capacity of the unknown liquid, you would divide the specific heat capacity of water by 28.5 kg°C and then multiply it by 10 kg°C.
Please note that the specific heat capacity of water is approximately 4.18 J/g°C. So if you convert your answer from joules to grams, it will give you the specific heat capacity in J/g°C.