Why are calorimeters often made of materials with low specific heats? When building calorimeters, a material with a low specific heat is often used (such as Styrofoam, aluminum, etc.). However, why would a material with a low specific heat be preferred? My thought process is below:

Scenario: An exothermic reaction occurs in a calorimeter.

Principle: In calorimetry, we are always trying to minimize the amount of heat transfer from the calorimeter to the surroundings. The amount of heat transferred from the reaction to the calorimeter doesn't really matter because we can calculate this quantity of heat using the calorimeter's calorimeter constant, which we can derive experimentally.

Case 1: Calorimeter made of material with low specific heat

If the calorimeter had a low specific heat, it would absorb less heat, but its temperature would increase more. Differences in temperature cause heat transfer, so a larger difference in temperature between the calorimeter and the surrounding air would mean more heat transfer from the calorimeter to the surroundings.

Case 2: Calorimeter made of material with high specific heat

If the calorimeter had a high specific heat, it would absorb more heat, but its temperature would not increase much. Differences in temperature cause heat transfer, so a smaller difference in temperature between the calorimeter and the surrounding air would mean less heat transfer from the calorimeter to the surroundings.

Therefore, a calorimeter with a high specific heat would be more effective because it would minimize heat transfer between the calorimeter and the surroundings.

Where is the flaw in my logic?

Additionally, according to http://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/insulation-materials-thermal-properties/,


  A good insulator has a higher specific heat capacity because it takes time to absorb more heat before it actually heats up (temperature rising) to transfer the heat.
Actually, a calorimeter with high specific heat would have less temperature change, which is harder to measure. Therefore, the error in the calculated enthalpy of the reaction would be higher.
Specific heat does not mean heat conductivity, as described by Fourier's Law.