In this lab, the specific heat capacity of copper metal was determined using a simple styrofoam calorimeter. The average of…

In this lab, the specific heat capacity of copper metal was determined using a simple styrofoam calorimeter. The average of three trials led to an experimentally determined value of 0.377 J/goC which differed by only 2.08 % from the theoretical value of 0.385 J/goC. Sources of error which may have contributed to this difference include heat loss during the transfer of the metal into the calorimeter, heat loss by the calorimeter itself and lack of precision of the balance and thermometer used in this experiment. Nevertheless, such a lower % difference suggests that the technique of simple calorimetry is a efficient, cost-effective way to determine the specific heat capacity of a metal.