Heat And Calorimetry Lab Report

The values calculated through experimentally extrapolated values compare to the the expected theoretical values of these heats with a degree of error. In most cases the values found through experiment were higher than the expected value by one or two kilojoules. This discrepancy causes a 2-5% error in the values calculated. The causes of this degree of error could be sources of errors due to the equipment and set up of the experiment. The experiment is not a perfectly isolated system which could have lead to transfer of heat from the solution to the environment and vice versa. The thermometer used in the experiment could be inaccurate by a fraction of a degree and cause quite a difference in the calculations. Also when the thermometer is first …show more content…
Uneven heat distribution would be caused by insufficient stirring or excessive stirring. If the solution in the calorimeter was not mixed enough it would cause areas or warmer and cooler solution. Also if the solution was mixed intensely it may add to an increase of kinetic energy in the solution increasing the heat recorded. The heat from the system may have transferred to our hands as we held the top of the calorimeter down. This would cool down the system decreasing the final temperature recorded. The substance also could have reached equilibrium in the midst of the trials run and began to move the reaction in the reverse direction, which would decrease the temperatures recorded would be effected by the reverse reaction. The calorimeter used in lab was not a completely closed system because the lid had two holes in which the stirrer and thermometer were to be placed. The holes were slightly larger than the circumference of the two, leaving an opening in which heat from the calorimeter could escape. Also when putting the reactants into the calorimeter there is a delay in closing the calorimeter, during this time some of the …show more content…
This is because in a strong acid/ strong base neutralization, the strong acid and strong base dissociate completely into ions. Therefore, all mole added to the solution would essential react and produce heat. Where as a weak acid would only partially dissociate into ions while the strong base would dissociate into complete ions. Since the weak acid produces less ions to participate in the neutralization, less heat would be produced because there are less reactants, and therefore would be less product. So if they were all added in the same number of moles the weak acid/strong base solution would produce less