Calorimetry

Calorimetry is a technique used to measure the amount of heat evolved from a chemical reaction performed in a bomb calorimeter (or combustion calorimeter).  A combustible sample is placed into a sample dish that is encased in a "bomb," a cylindrical container with heavy steel ends and walls.  The bomb is then placed in a thermally insulated water-filled container.  The sample of interest is ignited, usually by a spark, and the heat generated warms the bomb, which in turn warms the water.  Because heat transferred from the system (oxygen and compound) equals the heat transferred into the surroundings (bomb and water), measuring the temperature change of the water allows an accurate measurement of the heat released during the combustion reaction.  From the law of energy conservation,

Heat transferred from system = heat transferred into the surroundings
Heat evolved by the reaction = heat absorbed by water and bomb
qreaction = -(qwater + qbomb)

where q is the standard variable for heat.  Note that the heat of the reaction is negative implying that the reaction is exothermic.
This module simulates the use of a bomb calorimeter; the temperature change is calculated for the combustion of nine different compounds and displayed graphically.  The nine compounds and their molecular masses (in g/mol) are listed below:
 

 
 
 
 
 
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INSTRUCTIONS:
 

Last modified: April 13, 2000