Thermochemistry

Part A: Determine the heat of combusion of candle wax

1) weight a night light containing candle wax.

2) using graduated cylinder measure out 50ml of water and pour into calorimeter. take note of temperature.

3) ignite candle wax under fge calorimeter. allow the candle wax to burn until the temperature had risen. extenguish the candle and weight it again to find fhe mass of candle which burnt.

B) To measure the heat of solution of NaOH.

1) measure out 50ml of water in gratuated cylinder and pour unto suitable calorimeter. note this temperature as accurately as possible.

2) weigh out 2g of the chemical and add to the water in the calorimeter. Dissolve as quickly as possible and take note of the temperature again once the temperature becomes stable.

C) Determine the heat of heat neutralisation for an acid/ base neutralisation

1) using gratuated cylinder measure out 50ml of 1M of hydrochloric acid

2) using another gratuated cylinder measure out 50ml of 1ml sodium hydroxide solution.

3) measure out the temperature of HCl and NaOH

4) when both solutions are at ghe same temperature add the base to the acid and stir well

5) record the maximum temperature reached

Questions:

1) what is the principle underpinning this experimental procedure? talk about the three steps?

2) what are the major findings of this experiment?talk about the three steps?

3) what were the possible errors? how could this experiment be improved in the future?

4) what are the significance of this experiment? a bit of explanation is needed?

5) what are the limitation of the methodology used in this experiment?

6) how could the methodology in this experiment be improved?