Solving for Final Temperature

[lapalla]

When finding the final temperature after being given the grams and specific heat capacity of water, how come you must equal the calculated heat flows of ice and water to each other?

[WPING1A]

When you mix the water and ice together, the ice becomes heated up by the current temperature of the water, and the water is cooled by the ice. Eventually, they will reach they same temperature as they are both exchanging energy simultaneously.

[Maria George 3K]

Because we assume that no energy is escaping the calorimeter and going off into the atmosphere, we can say that all heat energy lost by the water is gained by the ice as it melts. So you can set the q values equal and opposite to each other (opposite because one is gaining heat and the other is losing heat). They will have the same final temperature as the reaction goes to equilibrium.