A 4.5 gram nugget of gold absorbs 276 J of heat. What was the final temperature of the gold if the initial temperature was 36°C. The specific heat of gold is 0.129 J/g°C.

Question

A 4.5 gram nugget of gold absorbs 276 J of heat. What was the final temperature of the gold if the initial temperature was 36°C. The specific heat of gold is 0.129 J/g°C. Show all your work and round your answer to the hundredths place. 

Answer 1

I would write:

276 Joules Equals (0.129 Joules Per "Grams-Dot-Degrees-Celsius") Times (4.5 Grams) Times (Final Temperature Value Minus 36) Degrees-Celsius.

That is, 276 J = 0.129 J/(g • °C) × 4.5 g × (T_f − 36)°C.

Then write (T_f − 36)°C = 276 J ÷ 0.129 J/(g • °C) ÷ 4.5 g,

which gives T_f equal to 511.4521964°C equivalent to 511.45°C.