[myelevatorbeat]

I have to write the procedure for a lab report that says, "You have recently been put on a technical service team to help your company's customers with your product line.  One customer recently returned the coffee pot you manufacture, claiming that the temperature of the water is not hot enough to brew the coffee.  Your team must measure the temperature of the water inside the pot.  Unfortunately, the only thermometer you have available to you has no marks above 40 C.  Using only this thermometer and other materials (coffeepot, thermometer, styrofoam cups, stirrers, graduated cylinders, balances, ice, cold water, samples of various metals).

I have started to write out the procedure which includes constructing a calorimeter and experimenting to find out how much heat is lost in the calorimeter.  Beyond that, I have no clue.  Could anybody help me out or at least give me some hints?

I'd be very grateful.

[Mitch]

doesn't density change with temperature?

[Demotivator]

Dunkin doughnuts could use your services!
The other day I went in  and got  some damn lukewarm cofee. I had to tell em to microwave it to get it hot.
 

[Demotivator]

Nah, density won't  work accurately.
The idea is to take a known volume of hot water from the coffee pot and mix it with a known volume of cold water at a known temp. Then observe the final temp after mixing. The cold water should be of volume great enough or cold enough that after mixing, the temp is not greater than the thermometer's capability. Knowing the heat capacity of water, the original hot water temp can be calculated.

[Mitch]

1.) This is a multinational corporation who sells coffe pots all over the world, I'm sure they can afford a $1.50 for a better thermometer.

2.) Why don't you try to make some coffee with the pot to see if it actually tastes good, and then you'll know whether the coffee pot is any good.