Final answer:
The specific heat of the metal can be determined by using the given specific heat values. By calculating the required energy for each metal, we find that the metal in question is most likely Copper.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1°C. The metal in question requires 10.1 J of energy to change its temperature from 21°C to 36°C. By using the given specific heat values, we can calculate the specific heat of the metal. Let's calculate it for each metal given:
For Gold: 2.8g x 0.129 J/g °C x (36°C - 21°C) = 37.548 J
For Silver: 2.8g x 0.237 J/g °C x (36°C - 21°C) = 68.868 J
For Copper: 2.8g x 0.385 J/g °C x (36°C - 21°C) = 111.804 J
Based on our calculations, the metal with the closest value to the required energy is Copper with a specific heat of 0.385 J/g °C. Therefore, the metal in question is most likely Copper.