In a calorimeter, a reaction releases 1500 J of heat to the surroundings in a 100 g water calorimeter with c = 4.18 J/g°C. What is the resulting temperature rise of the water?

• A. 3.59°C
• B. 1.50°C
• C. 0.60°C
• D. 5.00°C

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that heat transfer changes temperature according to q = m c ΔT, so the temperature rise is ΔT = q/(m c). In this setup, the water absorbs the 1500 J of heat, so q = +1500 J. With mass m = 100 g and specific heat c = 4.18 J/g°C, the product m c is 100 × 4.18 = 418 J/°C. Therefore ΔT = 1500 / 418 ≈ 3.59°C. The water’s temperature increases by about 3.59°C, which matches the correct choice.