Final answer:
To calculate the specific heat capacity of quartz, use the heat transfer formula and the known values for water's mass, specific heat, and temperature change. Solve for the heat absorbed by the water and equate it to the heat lost by the quartz to find its specific heat capacity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how to calculate the specific heat capacity of quartz from an experiment involving a calorimeter. To solve for the specific heat capacity of quartz, one must use the principle of heat transfer between the water and the quartz, where the heat lost by the quartz is equal to the heat gained by the water. The formula used is q = mcΔT, where q is the heat exchange, m is the mass, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.
Specifically, for the sample of quartz (with an unknown specific heat), we would reorganize the equation to solve for c (specific heat): c = q / (mΔT). The heat (q) gained by the water can be calculated using the mass, specific heat capacity, and temperature change of the water. Since this heat is equal to the heat lost by the quartz, it can be substituted into the equation to find the specific heat capacity of quartz.
For example, if we know that the mass of water is 150.0 g, the specific heat capacity of water is approximately 4.184 J/g°C, and the temperature change (ΔT) for the water is 20.3°C - 15.0°C, we can calculate the heat absorbed by the water. Then, using the mass and temperature change for the quartz, we can determine the specific heat capacity for quartz.