Answers:

LEVEL: AS CHEMISTRY – Energetics

5. Measuring heats of combustion and calculating enthalpy changes

(15 minutes)
A student attempted to measure the enthalpy change of combustion of ethanol using the
apparatus shown below.

(a) Suggest four improvements that could be made to the apparatus to get a more accurate
result.
(4 marks)

Use a more accurate (narrower temperature range) thermometer. Clamp the calorimeter directly over
the burner and discard the gauze and tripod. Shield the apparatus from air draughts. Stir the water
(carefully using the thermometer).

(b) The student's results were as follows:

Mass of empty calorimeter 120 g

Mass of water in calorimeter 100 g
Mass of ethanol, wick and container before experiment 43.56 g
Mass of ethanol, wick and container after experiment 41.36 g
Initial temperature of water in calorimeter 20°°C
Final temperature of water 75°°C
1 1
Specific heat capacity of copper 0.387 J g − K−
1 1
Specific heat capacity of water 4.18 J g − K−
−1
Molar mass of ethanol 46.1 g mol

(i) Use the above results to calculate a value for the molar enthalpy change of combustion of
ethanol.
(4 marks)

Heat capacity of apparatus is 120 × 0.387 + 100 × 4.18 = 464.4 J K−1

Rise in temperature is 75 − 20 = 55 K
Heat evolved is 464.4 × 55 = 25542 J

Mass of ethanol burnt is 43.56 − 41.36 = 2.20 g

Amount of ethanol burnt is 2.20/46.1 = 0.0477 mol
Molar enthalpy change is 25542/0.0477 = −535 000 J = −535 kJ

Copyright © Pearson Education Limited 2001 1

 Answers:
LEVEL: AS CHEMISTRY – Energetics

(ii) The data book value for the standard molar enthalpy change of combustion of ethanol is
–1
–1367 kJ mol . Suggest reasons why the value calculated from the student's results differs
from the value in the data book.
(4 marks)

The student's value shows not enough heat has been transferred to the caloimeter and its contents
possibly because heat was lost to the gauze, tripod and surrounding air, combustion was incomplete,
some ethanol was lost by evaporation, the reactants and products were not measured under standard
temperature and pressure conditions.

(c) Explain why a bomb calorimeter is used for accurate determinations of enthalpy changes
and why the heat change measured is not an enthalpy change.
(3 marks)

Complete combustion occurs when the sample is burnt in pure oxygen under high pressure but the
reaction takes place at constant volume, so the heat change measured is an internal energy change, ∆U.

(Total 15 marks)

Copyright © Pearson Education Limited 2001 2