Which metal would cause the greatest increase in the temperature of the water in the calorimeter: the one with the highest specific heat, or the one with the lower specific heat?
The specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius.
The specific heat of water is 1 calorie/gram °C or 4.186 joule/gram °C which is higher than any other common substance.
A metal with the highest specific heat will cause the greatest increase in temperature of water in a calorimeter because the metal would hold more heat, and then transfer the greater quantity of heat to the water.
