Felipe D. Garcia Jr.

(2012-24629)

EXPERIMENT NO.1: CALORIMETRY

Introduction
To measure the heat flow in the reaction, a device known as a calorimeter is used
(Masterton and Hurley 2009). In calorimetry, the equation (1) is used to determine, the heat
capacity of the calorimeter. But in order for you to know the heat of reaction it is necessary to know
the moles of limiting reactant and the enthalpy of reaction which is shown in equation (2).

q = c T (1)
Where:
q = heat of reaction
c = heat capacity
T = change in tempearature
Hrxn = qrxn / Nlr (2)
Where:
Hrxn = enthalpy of reaction
qrxn = heat of reaction
Nlr = moles of limiting reactant
In the experiment, it used the standard enthalpy of reaction of the neutralization of strong
acid and strong base shown in chemical equation (3). After using these to calibrate the calorimeter,
we can now use it to know the experimental enthalpy of different reaction as shown in table (1) and
compare it to the theoretical enthalpy computed by equation (4) using the data shown in table (2)
and (3). Certain factors or incidents may contribute to the errors or difference between the
theoretical and experimental.
H(aq)
+
+ OH(aq)
-
H2O(l) Hrxn = -55.85 kJ (3)
H = pHf (products) - rHf (reactants) (4)
Where:
H = standart enthalpy of the reaction
= the sum of
p/r = stoichiometric coefficient of products/reactants
Hf (products)/ Hf (reactants) = enthalpy of formation of products/reactants
Table 1. The reaction systems for the determination of heat of reaction
a. Neutralization Reactions
1. NH3 + HCl
2. NaOH + CH3COOH
3. NH3 + CH3COOH
4. NaOH + HNO3
b. Reaction between an Active Metal amd an Acid
5. HCl + Mg
6. CH3COOH + Mg
c. Displacement of one Metal by another
7. CuSO4 + Zn
d. Precipitation Reaction
8. Na2CO3 + CaCl2
Table 2. Table of Specific Heats
Substance Specific Heat (J/g C)
Cu(s) 0.3846
Mg(s) 1.0239
Zn(s) 0.3884
CaCO3(s) 0.8181
Al(s) 0.9025
Table 3. Table of Standard Heats of Formation of Some Substance
















The purpose of the experiment is to learn how to calculate for heat capacity and heat of reaction,
comparing the experimental heat of reaction to theoretical, and knowing what could be the possible
sources of errors.
Substance Hf (kJ/mol)
Ca
2+
(aq) -542.83
Mg
2+
(aq) -466.85
Zn
2+
(aq) -153.89
CO3
2-
(aq) -677.14
OAc
-
(aq) -486.01
NH4
+
(aq) -132.51
NH3(aq) -80.29
Cu
2+
(aq) +64.77
Al
3+
(aq) -531.00
H
+
(aq) 0.00
CaCO3(s) -1206.9
CH3COOH(aq) -485.76
H2O(l) -285.83
OH
-
(aq) -299.99
Answers to Questions
Calibration of calorimeter:
1. H(aq)
+
+ OH(aq)
-
H2O(l) Hrxn = -55.85 kJ
a. Exothermic reaction
b. H(aq)
+

c. 0.005 mol H(aq)
+

d. -279 J

2. Knowing that the equation is exothermic, T is the change in temperature in the
calorimeter/surrounding. A positive T shows that the calorimeter absorbs heat thus
the reaction evolves heat. When a reaction evolves heat it is said to be an exothermic
reaction which is proven by the H

3. In our group the average heat of capacity (c) of the calorimeter is 102.3 J/C. The sign of
Ccal is positive because it requires heat to raise a temperature of a calorimeter. A
positive T shows that the calorimeter had raise a temperature by absorbing heat to the
calorimeter.

4. (1) Hrxn = qrxn / Nlr
(2) qrxn = - qcal
(3) qcal = Ccal T
(Apply 3 in 2) qrxn = - Ccal T
(Apply the previous equation in 1) Hrxn = - Ccal T / Nlr
(Isolate Ccal) Ccal = - Hrxn Nlr / T
Determination of Heats of Reaction:
5. a. NH3(aq) + H
+
(aq)

NH4
+
(aq)
b. CH3COOH(aq) + OH
-
(aq) CH3COO
-
(aq) + H2O(l)
c. NH3(aq) + CH3COOH(aq) NH4
+
(aq) + CH3COO
-
(aq)
d. H(aq)
+
+ OH(aq)
-
H2O(l)
e. Mg(s) + 2 H
+
(aq) Mg
2+
(aq) + H2(g)
f. Mg(s) + 2 CH3COOH(aq) Mg
2+
(aq) + 2 CH3COO
-
(aq) + H2(g)
g. Cu
2+
(aq) + Zn(s) Cu(s) + Zn
2+
(aq)
h. Ca
2+
(aq) + CO3
2-
(aq) CaCO3(s)

6. a. Limiting reactant is H
+
(aq)

which is 0.005 mol
b. Limiting reactant is CH3COOH(aq) which is 0.005 mol
c. Limiting reactant is CH3COOH(aq)

which is 0.005 mol
d. Limiting reactant is H
+
(aq)

which is 0.005 mol
e. Limiting reactant is Mg(s)

which is 0.0021 mol
f. Limiting reactant is Mg(s)

which is 0.0021 mol
g. Limiting reactant is Zn(s)

which is 0.0076 mol
h. Limiting reactant is Ca
2+
(aq) which is 0.005 mol

7.

8. The sign of H shows whether the reaction is an exothermic or endothermic. When the
sign of H is negative, the reaction evolves heat to the surrounding which is observed by
the sign in our T to be positive. When the sign of H is positive, the reaction absorbs
heat from the surrounding which is observed by the sign in our T to be negative.

9. Theoretically the reaction CH3COOH(aq) + OH
-
(aq) CH3COO
-
(aq) + H2O(l) is the most
exothermic for it has the more negative H.
Experimentally the reaction NH3(aq) + CH3COOH(aq) NH4
+
(aq) + CH3COO
-
(aq) is the most
exothermic for it has the more negative H.
Theoretically and Experimentally the reaction NH3(aq) + H
+
(aq)

NH4
+
(aq) is the least
exothermic for it has the less negative H.

10. Theoretically and Experimentally the reaction Mg(s) + 2 CH3COOH(aq) Mg
2+
(aq) + 2
CH3COO
-
(aq) + H2(g) is the most exothermic for it has the more negative H.

11. For reactions (g) and (h) the solid products of the reactions are Cu(s) and CaCO3(s)
respectively. The theoretical yield for reaction (g) is 0.4830 g Cu(s). The theoretical yield
for reaction (h) is 0.50 g CaCO3(s).

12. The theoretical H is small which is cause by the the magnitude of the energy of bond
breaking and bond formation in relatively the close to each other. Which is supported
by the equation (4).

13. For reaction a. f.
Reaction Theoretical H
(kJ/mol)
Experimental H
(kJ/mol)
Type of
Reaction
Percent Error
(%)
A. -52.22 -46.5 Exothermic 10.95
B. -56.09 -76.7 Exothermic 36.74
C. -52.47 -102.1 Exothermic 94.59
D. -55.84 -48.9 Exothermic 12.37
E. -466.85 -287.9 Exothermic 38.33
F. -467.35 -439.1 Exothermic 6.04
G. -218.66 k -47.2,
-172.4
Exothermic 78.4
21.2
H. 13.07 0 Endothermic 100.0

(1) Hrxn = qrxn / Nlr
(2) qrxn = - qcal
(3) qcal = Ccal T
(Apply 3 in 2) qrxn = - Ccal T
(Apply the previous in 1) Hrxn = - Ccal T / Nlr

For reaction g. and h.
(1) Hrxn = qtot / Nlr
(2) qtot = qrxn + qsolid
(3) qrxn = - qcal
(4) qsolid = m Csolid T
(5) qcal = Ccal T
(Apply 5 in 3) qrxn = - Ccal T
(Apply previous in 2) qtot = - Ccal T + qsolid
(Apply 4 in the previous) qtot = - Ccal T + m Csolid T
(Apply the previous in 1) Hrxn = [- Ccal T + m Csolid T] / Nlr

14.
Source of Error Effect on T Effect on Ccal Effect on H
Molarity of solution
is higher than the
recorded
No direct effect No direct effect Lower, because
molarity proportional to
moles which is inversely
proportional to H
Reading the
temperature wrong
Depends higher or
lower
Higher wrong
reading could
cause low Ccal
Lower wrong
reading could
cause higher Ccal
qcal = Ccal T
Higher wrong reading
could cause higher H
Lower wrong reading
could cause lower H
Hrxn = - Ccal T / Nlr
Solid reactants didnt
completely dissolves
Lower, because
reaction didnt
complete
Higher, since the
reaction didnt
complete (low T)
qcal = Ccal T
Lower, because low
amount of heat is
required since the
reaction didnt complete

LAB manual Questions:
1. The most common error could be human error. Wrong reading of the temperature could
cause this discrepancy. In the reaction where there are solid reactants, error could come
be caused by in dissolution of these solid reactants.
2.
a. With just 15 mL of final solution, a small mole of reaction is allowed to react
resulting in small reading of heat. Small amount of heat just enough to be read by
the change in temperature also not to high because styroball just have specific heat
to absorb.
b. The concentration of the reactants is used to compute for the moles of the limiting
reactant which is important for computing for heat of reaction.
c. The metal solids used are the limiting reactant, so it is important to know the weight
in order to compute for moles of limiting reactant.
3.
a. 60 kJ/mol
b. Weak acid because all strong acids reacted with strong base (NaOH) have H equal to
-55.8kJ/mol.
c. HA + OH
-
H
2
O + A
-


4.
a. H(aq)
+
+ OH(aq)
-
H2O(l)
b. Cu
2+
(aq) + Zn(s) Cu(s) + Zn
2+
(aq)
c. 9960 J/C
d. -219.7 kJ/mol

5. -229.2 kJ/mol

(Note: Solutions in A2Q are in Calculations)
References
Bissonnette, C., Herring F. G., Madura, J., Petrucci R. (2011) General Chemistry Principles
and Modern Application. Toronto, Canada
Hurley C., Masterton W. (2009) Chemistry Principles and Reactions. Belmont USA
Chem 17 Academic Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines Diliman
(2011) General Chemistry II Laboratory Manual. Quezon City Philippines.