Final answer:
The specific heat of the unknown metal is approximately 0.86 J/(g°C), indicating that it is likely copper or nickel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific heat of a substance is a measure of how much heat energy is required to raise the temperature of a given amount of the substance by a certain amount. It is denoted by the symbol 'C' and has units of J/(g°C). To determine the specific heat of the unknown metal, we can use the formula:
C = q / (m * ΔT)
where 'q' is the heat absorbed by the metal, 'm' is the mass of the metal, and 'ΔT' is the change in temperature.
In this case, we have: q = 1.43 kJ = 1.43 × 10^3 J, m = 217 g, ΔT = 39.1 °C - 24.5 °C = 14.6 °C
Substituting these values into the formula: C = (1.43 × 10^3 J) / (217 g * 14.6 °C) ≈ 0.86 J/(g°C)
The high specific heat value suggests that the metal is likely copper (B) or nickel (C) as they have similar specific heat values.