Professor: Jasminka Omerovi

Student: Katarina Lalovi

Heat combustion of
alcohols
Date: 28.02.2013.

AIM
The aim is to determine and compare the standard enthalpies of combustion of
methanol, ethanol and propan-2-ol.

Apparatus
Equipment: beaker 250 cm3 ( 0.25), tripod, wire gauze, thermometer (0.5),
holder, spirit lamp, sensitive balance (0.01)
Chemicals: methanol CH3OH, ethanol C2H5OH, propan-2-ol C3H8OH, water H2O

Safety
For this experiment, googles, gloves and lab coat were used for protection.

Method
1. Measure the mass of spirit lamp containing methanol.
2. Measure 50 cm3 of water and place it into a beaker on a tripod and wire
gauze.
3. Record the temperature of the water.
4. Place the spirit lighter under the beaker of water and heat it for 5 minutes.
5. Record the temperature of the water after the heating.
6. Meausure the mass of the spirit lighter and methanol after heating, and
calculate the mass of methanol used.
7. Repeat the same procedure using ethanol and propan-2-ol instead of
methanol.

Data collection
Quantitative data
Methanol CH3OH
Trials

Error

Avera
ge
value

Unc
.

0.0
1

159.50

0.00
6

1.

2.

3.

Methanol before heating/ g

161.71

159.50

157.30

Methanol after heating/ g

159.56

157.36

155.16

0.0
1

157.36

0.00
6

Methanol used / g

2.15

2.14

2.14

0.0
2

2.14

0.90

Temperature before
heating/ C

24.0

24.0

25.0

24.3

2.0

0.5

Temperature after
heating / C

52.0

54.0

55.0

T-Temperature change/ C

28.0

30.0

30.0

53.6

0.9

29.3

3.4

Error

Avera
ge
value

Unc
.

0.0
1

196.89

0.00
5

0.5
1.0

Ethanol C2H5OH
Trials
1.
Ethanol before heating/ g
Ethanol after heating/ g

Ethanol used / g
Temperature before
heating/ C
Temperature after heating /
C
T-Temperature change/ C

2.

3.

196.89

195.71

196.87

195.73

194.62

0.0
1

195.74

0.00
5

1.20

1.16

1.09

0.0
2

1.15

1.70

21.0

25.0

23.0

23.0

2.1

45.0

46.0

44.0

45.0

1.1

24.0

21.0

21.0

22.0

4.5

Error

Avera
ge
value

Unc
.

0.0
1

183.28

0.00
5

198.07

0.5
0.5
1.0

Propan-2-ol C3H8OH
Trials
1.
Propan-2-ol before heating/
g
Propan-2-ol after heating/
g
Propan-2-ol used / g
Temperature before
heating/ C
Temperature after heating /
C
T-Temperature change/ C

3.
182.08

184.49

183.29

183.48

182.10

180.39

0.0
1

181.99

0.00
5

1.01

1.19

1.69

0.0
2

1.29

1.50

24.0

24.0

24.0

24.0

2.0

42.0

50.0

54.0

48.6

1.0

18.0

26.0

30.0

24.6

4.0

Unc.=( error/average value ) * 100

Qualitative data

2.

0.5
0.5
1.0

All alcohols were transparent and had sharp smell. After their heating, on the
beaker was black soot and lamps were warm.

Data processing
Methanol CH3OH
First, we have to calculate the heat energy required to raise the temperature of
50.00 g of water by 29.3 C, where specific heat capacity, c, of water is 4.180 J /
g C with formula:
Q = m * c * T
Q = 50.00 * 4.180 * 29.3
Q = 6 124 J
This amount of heat is released from 2.14 g of Methanol. To calculate that
amount in moles, first we need the molar mass of Methanol:
Mr ( CH3OH ) = Ar (C) + Ar (H )* 4 + Ar (O)
Mr ( CH3OH ) = 12.01 + 1.01 * 4 + 16.00
Mr ( CH3OH ) = 32.05 g/mol

We can calculate the number of moles with the formula:

n=m/M
n = 2.14 / 32.05
n = 0.0667 mol

So, 6 124 J of heat is released when 0.0667 mol of methanol is burned. But here
we need the heat released from one mole of the substance, and we will calculate
it by the proportion:
0.0667 mol ---- 6 124 J
1 mol --------------- X
X = 6 124 * 1 / 0.0667 = 91 814 J 92 kJ
Since the reaction is exothermic, the final result will be H = -92 kJ.
Reaction: 2 CH3OH

(l)

+ 3 O2 (g) CO2

(g)

+ 2 H2O

(l)

Ethanol C2H5OH
Similar here, first we will calculate the heat energy required to raise the
temperature of 50.00g of water by 22 C, where c is specific heat capacity of
water, c= 4.180 J / g C
Q = m * c * T
Q = 50.00 * 4.180 * 22.0
Q = 4 598 J
This amount of heat is released from 1.15 g of Ethanol. To calculate that amount
in moles, first we need the molar mass of Ethanol:
Mr ( C2H5OH ) = Ar (C) *2 + Ar (H )* 6 + Ar (O)
Mr (C2H5OH ) = 12.01 * 2 + 1.01 * 6 + 16.00
Mr (C2H5OH ) = 46.08 g/mol
We can calculate the number of moles with the formula:
n=m/M
n = 1.15 / 46.08
n = 0.0249 mol

So, 4 598 J of heat is released when 0.0249 mol of Ethanol is burned. But here we
need the heat released from one mole of the substance, and we will calculate it
by the proportion:
0.0249 mol ---- 4 598 J
1 mol --------------- X
X = 4 598 * 1 / 0.0249
X = 184 659 J 185 kJ
Since the reaction is exothermic, H will be 185 kJ.
Reaction: C2H5OH

(l)

+ 3 O2

(g)

2 CO2 (g) + 3 H2O

(l)

Propan-2-ol C3H8OH
Same procedure will be applied to this alcohol.
The heat energy required to raise the temperature of 50.00 g of water by 24.6 C
will be calculated the first with the formula:
Q = m * c * T,

Where c is specific heat capacity of water, c = 4.180 J / g C.

Q = 50.00 * 4.180 * 24.6
Q = 5 141 J.
From 1.29 g of Propan-2-ol, 5 141 J of heat is released. Since we need that
amount in moles, we will calculate the molar mass of Propan-2-ol first :
Mr ( C3H8OH ) = Ar (C) *3 + Ar (H )* 9 + Ar (O)
Mr (C3H8OH ) = 12.01 * 3 + 1.01 * 9 + 16.00
Mr ( C3H8OH ) = 61.12 g/mol
We can calculate the number of moles with the formula:
n=m/M
n = 1.29 / 61.12
n = 0.0211 mol
So, 5 141 J of heat is released when 0.0211 mol of Ethanol is burned. But here we
need the heat released from one mole of the substance, and we will calculate it
by the proportion:
0.0211 mol ---- 5 141 J
1 mol --------------- X
X = 5 141 * 1 / 0.0211
X = 243 649 J 244 kJ
This reaction is also exothermic, so H is negative with the value of 244 kJ.
Reaction: C3H8OH

(l)

+ 5 O2

(g)

3 CO2 (g) + 4 H2O

(l)

Conclusion
Final results for the three alcohols and their data book values are:
Methanol: H = -92 kJ 7

( H = -726 kJ )

Ethanol: H = -185 kJ 9

( H = -1367 kJ )

Propan-2-ol: H =-244 kJ 9

( H = - 2021 kJ )

Methanol CH3OH
Random error = Sum of all unc. = ( 0.006 * 2 + 0.90 + 2.0 + 0.9 + 3.4 ) =
7%

Total % error =100 * ( theoretical value - experimental value /

theoretical value )
= 100 *|( - 726 + 92 / - 726 )|= 100 * |0.87 |= 87 %
Systematic error = total % error random error
= 87 7 = 80 %

Ethanol C2H5OH
Random error = Sum of all unc. = (0.005 *2 + 1.70 + 2.1 + 1.1 + 4.5 ) =
9.4 %
Total % error =100 * ( theoretical value - experimental value /
theoretical value )
= 100 *|(- 1367 + 185 / - 1367 )|= 100 * | 0.86 |= 86 %
Systematic error = total % error random error
= 86 9.4 77 %

Propan-2-ol C3H8OH
Random error = Sum of all unc. = (0.005 *2 + 1.50 + 2.0 + 1.0 + 4.0 ) =
9%
Total % error =100 * ( theoretical value - experimental value /
theoretical value )
= 100 *|(- 2021 + 222 / - 2021 )|= 100 * | 0.87 |= 87 %
Systematic error = total % error random error
= 87 9.0 = 78 %

Evaluation
All combustion reaction are exothermic, this is why heat is released when one of
the three alcohols is burned, and therefore H will be negative.
All substances were alcohols-methanol, ethanol and propan-2-ol and they are
volatile liquids, which explains why they evaporated during this experiment.
In this experiment it was assumed that only water was heated, but since this is
not an example of a closed system, thermometer, wire gauze and beaker were
heated too.

In the Data collection part, all results can be found. For different alcohols, it is
noticable that they have different results. For example, propan-2-ol has got the
highest value which is -244 kJ. This is due to the number of bonds that have to be
broken down, so more heat is required for this process called combustion of one
mole of alcohol and it has the highest molar mass. Also we can conclude that
methanol has got the lowest value for enthalpy change which is -92 kJ, due to
the smallest number of bonds that have to be broken during the combustion of
one mole of alcohols and therefore we can conclude that methanol is the simplest
from three alcohols.
One thing that should also be mentioned is that there is a great difference
between the values of obtained data and data book values. For methanol, ethanol
and propan-2-ol errors are 77 %, 80 % and 78 % which are really high. But this
was expected because random errors are always present, and their values are
7%, 9% and 9% . This can be avoided by using more precise instruments like
electric thermometer or data logger, but also metal beaker or more precise
measuring cylinder.
The biggest problem in this experiment was heat loss to the surrounding. It is
assumed that the amount of heat absorbed by water is equal to the amount of
heat released from the lamp, but here this was not the case due to the huge heat
loss, since this was not, as I said, an example of a closed system. Therefore, a
sigificant amount of heat was lost in the air, because of the distance between the
beaker and the spirit lamp.Also the lamp and the beaker were heated so some
heat is lost due to that. As an improvement I would suggest a closed system, and
the amount of heat lost will be reduced to minimum, so there will not that big
difference between obtained and data book values.
As I already mentioned, data logger could be a better solution than a regular
thermometer. It would measure the increase in temperature, so human mistakes
could be avoided completely. But since I used regular thermometer, as an
improvement I suggest to hold thermometer with a clump in the middle of the
beaker, without touching the bottom. This would give us the temperature only of
water, and it will not measure the temperature of the heated bottom of the
beaker.
Glass beaker is also not the best solution, since glass is not a good conductor of
heat. Beter would be to use metallic beaker since metals are good conductors of
heat and the heat would spread across the whole bottom of the beaker, so it will
heat the water evenly. Furthermore, we should take care of where we put the
flame, it should be located right uder the center of the beaker so the heat could
be spread evenly.
Moreover, we should take care about the distance between the beaker and the
lamp, since this is not the closed system so a lot of heat is lost in the air between
them. The air is bad heat conductor so its logical that less heat will be transfered
to the beaker. The best improvement here would be the completely change of the
apparatus used to fit into the description of a closed system.

Error can also be caused by the piece of string that allowed the alcohol to travel
from the bottom to the flame. The problem is that a large amount of alcohols was
trapped in the string after the combustion, so the advice is to leave the flame to
burn, untill alcohol has completely burned from the string. This could alow us to
get more accurate results when measuring the mass of alcohol after heating.
And for the end we can always mention the unaccuracy in denoting the data,
dirty equipment where every particle could affect the temperature of the water
and always, improvement of the manipulative skills.