Calorimetry

Calorimetry is the measurement of thermal energy transferred during heating, cooling, or mixing. When a hotter body and colder body are placed in thermal contact, energy flows from the hotter body to the colder one. In an ideal insulated system: **Energy lost by hot body = Energy gained by cold body For ordinary temperature changes: Q = mcΔT**

Thermal equilibrium is reached when the bodies have the same temperature and there is no further net thermal energy transfer between them.

A calorimeter is designed to reduce thermal exchange with the surroundings. Good insulation improves experimental accuracy.

A hot body loses **1200 J in an ideal calorimeter. Therefore the colder body gains: 1200 J** If its mass is 0.5 kg and c=600 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹: **ΔT = Qmc** `=12000.5×600=4 K`