CALORIMETRY / EXPERIMENT 1

S. M. R. B AUTISTA
D EPARTMENT OF MINING, M ETALLURGICAL AND M ATERIALS E NGINEERING , COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES , DILIMAN , QUEZON C ITY , PHILIPPINES
DATE PERFORMED: NOVEMBER 19, 2013
INSTRUCTOR S NAME: MR. JOHN HERO SALVADOR

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION
Being considered as one of the
most
essential
experimental
techniques for providing measurement
for different physical changes and
chemical reactions, Calorimetry was
derived from the Latin word calor
meaning heat.
Calorimetry is the science of
calculating the amount of heat flow (q)
and its direction during a chemical
process. It is supported by the idea
that almost all chemical reactions
comes with the movement of heat.
Either it goes into (endothermic) or out
of (exothermic) the system.
The
system is the one being observed
while the surrounding encloses the
system which provides the conditions
for the experiment.

Figure 1. Calorimeter Set-up

In the set-up the reaction
mixture serves as the system while
the
calorimeter
acts
as
the
surrounding.
There are two assumptions
formed in calorimetry, first, that it
follows the Law of Conservation of
Energy meaning that the heat lost will
be equal to the heat gained. Second,
the calorimeters system is an
adiabatic system in which the total
heat of the system is equal to zero.
This means that there will be a close
observation of how the heat flows
considering that all heat released by

the chemical reaction is transferred

only into the calorimeter and all the
heat absorbed by the reaction is only
given off by the calorimeter.
There
are
two
types
of
Calorimeter.
The
Coffee
Cup
Calorimeter which provides constant
pressure and the Bomb Calorimeter
which works with constant volume.
The heat measured from the
reaction is known as the enthalpy
(H). It is the change of heat per n
mole(s) of limiting reagent.
q rxn
H = nLR
(1)
Enthalpy is also a state function
so it is essential to take note of the net
enthalpy of the products and the
reactants.
H0rxn = npH0f,p nrH0f.r (2)
Where in n are the stoichiometric
coefficients of the products and the
reactants respectively. While the Hof
are the standard enthalpies of
formation of the products and the
reactants respectively.
From H, we can deduce if the
reaction is exothermic, from which the
value
must
be
negative
or
endothermic which has a positive
value.
This
experiment
will
be
performed using a Styrofoam ball
which is carved to fit a six inch test
tube in which the reaction mixture will
be placed and will be covered by a
rubber stopper with an inserted
thermometer. The Styrofoam ball will

provide the constant pressure which

will classify this experiment to be
using a Coffee Cup Calorimeter.
In order to accurately measure
the data needed, the Calorimeter must
first be calibrated to obtain its heat
capacity (Ccal), using the reaction from
a strong acid and strong base which
produces water.
H+(aq) + OH-(aq)

H20(l) H = -55.85
kJ/mol
qrxn = nHrxn (3)
qcal = -qrxn (4)
qcal = CcalT (5)

The T will be the temperature

of the reaction minus the temperature
of the calibration.
Calorimetry can also be used to
identify the specific heat of a metal
which is the amount of heat needed to
raise the temperature by one Degree
Celsius per unit of mass (C cal). This is
done by dropping a piece of hot metal
to a coffee cup calorimeter. The heat
will flow from the metal to the water to
stabilize the temperature inside the
calorimeter.
qmetal + qcal = qsystem = 0 (6)
Cmetal = - (mwater)(cwater)(Tf Ti,water) (7)
mmetal (Tf Ti,metal)
The aim of this experiment is
to recall the use of the calorimeter
which was first encountered during the
study of Chem 16, to determine the
enthalpy
of
formation
using
calorimetry, to determine the specific
heat of a metal and to assess its
purity.
(General
Chemistry
II
Laboratory Manual)

METHODOLOGY
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES
[1] Amor, E., Esguerra, M., et.al.
General Chemistry Laboratory Manual,
Institute of Chemistry, University of
the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City,
Philippines. 2006

[2] Institute of Chemistry. General

Chemistry
II
Laboratory
Manual,
Institute of Chemistry, University of
the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City,
Philippines.
[3] Silberberg, M. Principles of General
Chemistry, McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc. New York City, United States of
America. 2009

APPENDIX
A. Sample Calculations
Moles of limiting reactant:

5 ml HCl x

1 mol HCl
=0.005 mol HCl
1000 ml

Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter, Ccal, for reaction 3 (using equation 7):
T = 3.5C

kJ
3
55.8
x 5 x 10 mol
mol
kJ
C cal=
=0.0931
3.5 C
mol
Moles of limiting reactant:

5 ml C H 3 COOH x

1 mol C H 3 COOH
=0.005 mol C H 3 COOH
1000 ml

Enthalpy of reaction, H, of reaction 3 (using equation 1):

kJ
x 3.5 C
1 mol C H 3 COOH
mol
kJ
H =
x
=65.17
0.005 mol C H 3 COOH
1mol rxn
mol
0.0931