Calorimeter is a small container made of a thin sheet of _________ with good thermal conductivity.

Question

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Purpose of the material
A calorimeter's container should have high thermal conductivity so heat distributes quickly and uniformly between the sample and the calorimeter.

Step 2: Compare options
- Silver: excellent thermal conductor (≈ $429\ \mathrm{W\,m^{-1}K^{-1}}$) but expensive and not commonly used for simple calorimeters.
- Platinum: good corrosion resistance but much lower conductivity (≈ $72\ \mathrm{W\,m^{-1}K^{-1}}$) and very expensive.
- Copper: high thermal conductivity (≈ $385\ \mathrm{W\,m^{-1}K^{-1}}$), inexpensive and commonly used for calorimeter construction.
- Cesium: a reactive alkali metal with low practical use for containers and low melting point; not suitable.

Step 3: Conclusion
Copper combines high thermal conductivity, availability and low cost, so a calorimeter is typically made from a thin sheet of copper.

FINAL_ANSWER: c

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