Specific Heat Capacity and Calorimetry

Heat Capacity
Is the energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree Celsius Think about a coffee cup and a bathtub of water at the same temperature. Which would require more energy to raise the temperature by 1 degree Celsius? Hopefully, you said the bathtub.

Heat Capacity
Is affected by 3 things:
How much of the substance you have (quantity) How large of a temperature change youre making The identify of the substance

Specific Heat Capacity (C)

Because of this, we tend to use a more specific term known as specific heat capacity. This is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by one Kelvin. Units are J/gK or joules per gram per Kelvin.

A Useful Equation
To calculate how much heat energy is lost or gained when a given mass of a substance is warmed or cooled, we can use the following equation (q equals mcat): q = mCT Where q is the amount of heat transferred in joules m is the mass of the substance in grams C is the specific heat capacity in J/gK (see page 243 in your book for a table of values) T is the change in Kelvin temperature (final initial)

Example
Determine the quantity of heat that must be added to raise the temperature of Mrs. Markhams coffee (250 mL) from 20.5 C to 95.6 C. Assume that water and coffee have the same density and specific heat capacity.

Calorimetry
Experimental technique that measures the heat transferred in a chemical or physical process 2 types:
Constant pressure Constant volume

Constant Pressure Calorimetry

Used to measure H (remember our definition of enthalpy?) Utilizes nested Styrofoam cups, a lid, and a thermometer The mass, specific heat capacity of the solution, and the amount of reactants must be known. Temperature change is measured, resulting in the calculation of heat change (use q equals mcat). This heat change is the H.

Constant Pressure Calorimetry

System = coffee cup contents Surroundings = cup and environment Heat is put out as the chemical energy stored within the bonds of the reactants is released. This is known as qrxn. This heat is either gained or lost by the solution. This is known as qsolution. qrxn + qsolution = 0

Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Advantages include:
Cheap Easy

Disadvantages include:
Lack of accuracy

Constant Volume Calorimetry

Used to measure E, specifically to measure heats of combustion and the caloric value of foods Utilizes a bomb which is nothing more than a cylinder with steel walls and ends. The bomb is set into a water-filled container. The contents of the bomb are combusted with an electric spark. The heat generated warms the water, which we can then measure.

Constant Volume Calorimetry

System = bomb, its contents, and water Surroundings = environment Heat transfer within the system is described by: qrxn + qbomb + qwater = 0 The heat measured is the change in internal energy, E. No work can be done because the volume does not change.