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Thermochemistry

Calculating enthalpy changes from experimental measurements

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Sixteen recall questions on calculating enthalpy changes from experimental measurements.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Numbers

State the equation used to calculate the heat energy transferred to a known mass of water, and define each term.

Evaluation

Why is a temperature change in degrees Celsius the same number as the temperature change in kelvin?

Key term

Why is the enthalpy change of a reaction negative when the temperature of the reaction mixture rises?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    State the equation used to calculate the heat energy transferred to a known mass of water, and define each term.

    Model answer

    q = mcΔT, where q is the heat energy in joules, m is the mass of water in grams, c is the specific heat capacity in J g⁻¹ K⁻¹ and ΔT is the temperature change in kelvin or degrees Celsius.

  2. 2

    Why is a temperature change in degrees Celsius the same number as the temperature change in kelvin?

    Model answer

    The two scales have divisions of exactly the same size and differ only in where zero is placed. A difference of one degree Celsius is therefore identical to a difference of one kelvin, even though the two temperature readings themselves differ.

  3. 3

    Calculate the heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 200 g of water by 25.0 °C, given that the specific heat capacity of water is 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹.

    Model answer

    q = mcΔT = 200 × 4.18 × 25.0 = 20 900 J = 20.9 kJ.

  4. 4

    Why is the volume of an aqueous solution in cm³ usually taken to be equal to its mass in grams in a calorimetry calculation?

    Model answer

    The solution is mostly water, whose density is very close to 1.00 g cm⁻³, so 1 cm³ has a mass of about 1 g. It is an approximation, and it is one source of error in the final value.

  5. 5

    Why is the enthalpy change of a reaction negative when the temperature of the reaction mixture rises?

    Model answer

    A rise in temperature means the mixture has gained heat energy, which must have come from the chemical reaction. The chemicals have therefore lost energy to their surroundings, so the reaction is exothermic and ΔH carries a negative sign.

  6. 6

    50.0 cm³ of 1.00 mol dm⁻³ hydrochloric acid is mixed with 50.0 cm³ of 1.00 mol dm⁻³ sodium hydroxide solution and the temperature rises by 6.80 °C. Calculate the enthalpy change of neutralisation. Take the density of the mixture as 1.00 g cm⁻³ and its specific heat capacity as 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹.

    Model answer

    Total volume = 100 cm³, so m = 100 g. q = 100 × 4.18 × 6.80 = 2842 J = 2.842 kJ. Moles of water formed = 0.0500 dm³ × 1.00 mol dm⁻³ = 0.0500 mol, since the reagents are present in equal amounts. ΔH = ‒2.842 / 0.0500 = ‒56.8 kJ mol⁻¹. The value is negative because the temperature rose.

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