Final answer:
The specific heat of the plastic can be calculated using the conservation of energy and the known specific heat of water, along with the masses of the substances and their temperature changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the specific heat of the plastic, we can apply the principle of conservation of energy in a calorimetry experiment. Since no heat is lost to the surroundings, the heat lost by the plastic is equal to the heat gained by the water.
Using the formula q = mcΔT, where q is the heat transfer, m is the mass, c is the specific heat, and ΔT is the change in temperature, we can set up the equation for heat lost by plastic (qplastic) equal to the heat gained by water (qwater):
mplasticcplasticΔTplastic = -mwatercwaterΔTwater
The negative sign indicates heat lost by the plastic and gained by water. Since we know the specific heat capacity of water is 1 cal/g°C, the mass and initial temperatures of both the water and the plastic, and the final equilibrium temperature is assumed to be 25°C, we can solve for cplastic.