CALORIMETRY

A.M. LOPEZ1 AND A. VASQUEZ2

1DEPARTMENT OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING
2DEPARTMENT OF GEODETIC ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES
INTRODUCTION
In a chemical reaction, the breaking and formation
of bonds result to a change in chemical energy of
the system. These changes in energy appear as heat.
When a chemical reaction occurs, the heat
exchanged between the system and the
surroundings is quantified and it is known as heat
of the reaction, qrxn. These chemical reactions could
either be exothermic or endothermic depending on
the heat of their reactions. An exothermic reaction
produces an increase in the temperature of the
system and the heat of the reaction is negative, qrxn
< 0. On the other hand, an endothermic reaction
has a decrease in temperature in the isolated system
or increased heat in the surroundings from a nonisolated system and the heat of the reaction is
positive, qrxn > 0.
The heat of a reaction can be determined through
calorimetry. It is experimentally determined using a
calorimeter, a device used in measuring amount of
heat. The system to be used in the experiment is an
isolated or an adiabatic system. This means that no
head is lost to the environment. This is because the
calorimeter insulates the reaction to contain the
heat with in the system and the calorimeter only. In
this experiment, a coffee-cup calorimeter is to be
used. This calorimeter observes the Law of
Conservation of Energy.
[1]

qsystem = qcal + qrxn = 0

[2]

qrxn = -qcal

where q is the heat involved. Since it is an isolated

system, when a reaction takes place in the
calorimeter, the heat gained or lost in the reaction
is equal to the negative of the heat gained or lost by
the calorimeter as seen in Equation 2. The heat of
the calorimeter, qcal, can be computed by

multiplying the heat capacity of the calorimeter and

the change in temperature involved in the reaction.
[3]

qcal = CcalT

where Ccal is the heat capacity of the calorimeter

and T is the change in temperature of the
reaction.
The heat of the reaction itself, on the other hand,
can be computed by multiplying the number of
moles, nLR, of the limiting reactant and the enthalpy
change of the reaction, Hrxn, or the heat measured
from a process conducted under constant pressure.
[4]

qrxn = nLR Hrxn

By integrating the given equations, the heat capacity

of the calorimeter can be determined.
[5]
[6]

- CcalT = nHrxn,
Ccal =

-nLR Hrxn
T

In addition the enthalpy change of a reaction can

be determined by subtracting the total enthalpy of
formation of the reactants from the products,
[7]

Hrxn = nP HF,P nR HF,R

where n is the stoichiometric coefficient, and HF

is the standard enthalpy of formation.
Another function of calorimetry is the
determination of the specific heat of a certain
metal. When heat is evolved from a chemical
reaction in the calorimeter, it is then absorbed by
water. Upon reaching thermal equilibrium, the
specific heat capacity of the metal, Cmetal, can then
be calculated using the change in temperature on
the water. The equation for the heat involved in the
system is not far from Equation 1.
[8]
[9]

qsystem = qwater + qmetal = 0

-qmetal = qwater qcal

[10]

qmetal = mcmetal(Tf Ti,metal)

[11]

qwater = mcwater(Tf Ti,water)

where m is the mass of the metal in grams, cmetal is

the metals heat capacity, and T is the change in
temperature. By substituting Equations 10 and 11
to Equation 9, we get
[12]

mcwater(Tf Ti,water) = mcmetal(Tf Ti,metal)

Also, by manipulating this equation, and isolating

cmetal, the specific heat of the metal can then be
calculated.
[13]

cmetal = -

mcwater (Tf Ti, water )

m(Tf Ti,metal )

In this experiment, the Ccal of a set-up and Hrxn

of certain reactions will be determined. In addition,
cmetal of iron nails will be determined.
REFERENCES
[1] Petrucci, R.H.; Herring, F.G.; Madura, J.D.;
Bissonnette, C. Thermochemistry. In General
Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications,
10th ed.; Pearson Canada Inc.: Toronto, Ohio,
2011; pp 244-288.
[2] Hemminger, W., and G. Hhne. Calorimetry
Fundamentals and Practice. Verlag Chemie,
Weinheim.1984. Page: 275-279
[3] Constant Pressure Calorimetry.
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry
/Thermodynamics/Calorimetry/Constant_Pressu
re_Calorimetry (accessed Jun 20, 2015)
[4] Calorimetry.
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry
/Thermodynamics/Calorimetry (accessed Jun 20,
2015)