The specific heat of a substance is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by 1 degree Celsius. To find the specific heat of the unknown metal, we can use the formula:
q = m * c * ΔT
where q is the heat energy absorbed by the metal, m is the mass of the metal, c is the specific heat of the metal, and ΔT is the change in temperature of the metal.
Substituting the given values, we get:
250 J = 46 g * c * (31.0°C - 25.0°C)
Simplifying the equation, we get:
250 J = 46 g * c * 6.0°C
Dividing both sides by (46 g * 6.0°C), we get:
c = 250 J / (46 g * 6.0°C)
c = 0.906 J/(g°C)
Therefore, the specific heat of the unknown metal is 0.906 J/(g°C).