When a substance is burned in a calorimeter, how does the temperature change relate to the energy released during combustion?

When a substance burns in a bomb calorimeter, the heat released by combustion is transferred to the surrounding water and calorimeter walls, raising their temperature. The temperature rise (ΔT) is directly proportional to the amount of heat released, and we calculate that heat with the formula Q = m c ΔT, where m is the mass of the water, c is its specific heat, and ΔT is the temperature change. Because the calorimeter is insulated, almost all of the combustion energy ends up as heat in the water, so the measured ΔT reflects the total energy released. For example, if 1 g of glucose burns in a calorimeter containing 1000 g of water (c = 4. 18 J g⁻¹ °C⁻¹) and the temperature rises 3 °C, the released energy is Q = 1000 × 4.