A lab instructor performs an experiment using an aluminum cup that contains 225 g of water and a 130 g copper stirrer, all initially at 27.0°C. (Note that the student wears insulated gloves when handling the stirrer.) The lab instructor then adds a sample of silver to the water. The sample has a mass of 488 g and is initially at a temperature of 85.0°C. After stirring the mixture until it reaches thermal equilibrium, the lab instructor measures a final temperature of 32.0°C. What is the mass (in g) of the aluminum cup?
What is the initial temperature of the water, aluminum, and copper? Of the silver? What is the final temperature of all? Can you relate the specific heat, mass, and temperature change of each to the energy transferred from each? From conservation of energy, what should be the sum of all the energy transfers from each material? Using this, solve for the unknown mass. Be careful with signs and units. g