Question

A bathtub of icy water at 32 degrees farenheit holds 17 gallons. You put in a 25 pound watermelon with a temperature of 100 degrees farenheit. If you wrap the tub completely in blankets so it does not lose any heat, what will be the final temperature of the watermelon? (Remember that watermelons are nearly all water.)

Answer 1

The specific heat of water, and the watermelon, in British units is 1.0 Btu/lb degF

The heat lost by the watermelon equals the heat gained by the water.

Use that fact to predict the equilibrium temperature.

One gallon of water weighs 8.0 pounds.

17*8.0*C*(T-32) = 25*C*(100-T)

C cancels out. Solve for T