A100g sample of hot copper is placed in a coffee cup calorimeter containing 100 grams of water at room temperature. after some time the temperature of the water and the copper become a constant at 50˚c. calculate the initial temperature of the copper piece. the specific heat of copper is 0.385 j/g˚c. the specific heat of liquid water is 4.184 j/g˚c.

Explanation:

When the hot copper and the liquid water reaches equilibrium, they have the same temperature; when this happens, the amount of heat released by the copper is equal to the amount of heat absorbed by the water:

where

is the mass of the copper

C_c=0.385 J/g˚C is the specific heat of copper

T_f=50˚C is the final temperature of both substances

is the mass of the water

C_w=4.184 J/g˚C is the specific heat of the water

T_c is the initial temperature of the copper

T_w=20˚C is the initial temperature of the water (room temperature)

Solving for T_c, we find:

i don't understand. explain it clearly