Chapter 17, Problem 17.119PP

To measure the specific heat in the liquid phase of a newly developed cryoprotectant, you place a sample of the new cryoprotectant in contact with a cold plate until the solution’s temperature drops from room temperature to its freezing point. Then you measure the heat transferred to the cold plate. If the system isn’t sufficiently isolated from its room-temperature surroundings, what will be the effect on the measurement of the specific heat? (a) The measured specific heat will be greater than the actual specific heat; (b) the measured specific heat will be less than the actual specific heat; (c) there will be no effect because the thermal conductivity of the cryoprotectant is so low; (d) there will be no effect on the specific heat, but the temperature of the freezing point will change.