Hydrothermal Energy Lab Report

Calorimetry is the science of measuring the change in heat absorbed or released during a chemical reaction. The change in heat can tell us if the reaction is either exothermic - it released or heat into surroundings, or endothermic - it absorbed heat from surroundings. The device used to measure calorimetry is a calorimeter. A calorimeter can range from very expensive lab ones to coffee styrofoam cups but they are all tightly sealed in order to prevent heat from escaping.

The first trial that contained 10 mL of NaOH and 10 mL of CH3COOH produced a ΔHrxn of -13.11 kJ/m. The second trial, which contained 15 mL of NaOH and 5 mL of CH3COOH resulted in a ΔHrxn of -7.864 kJ/m. Based on the literature value of NaOH CH3COOH, -57.5 kJ/m, we were off by 44.39 kJ/m in the first trial, and 49.64 kJ/m in the second trial.

The first reaction involves pyrite rock reacting with oxygen (air) and water to produce dissolved ferrous iron, sulfate, and acidity. The second reaction oxidizes the dissolved ferrous iron in acidic conditions and produces ferric iron and water. The third reaction involves the hydrolysis of the ferric iron to form ferric hydroxide and more acid. The ferric hydroxide is the orangey-red colored solid you see in the water (Juniata College).

This experiment initially involved the synthesis of an iron (III) oxalate complex with the general

In a paper dated December 20, 2012 by Ed Yong, “Lane and Martin argued that hydrogen-saturated alkaline water meeting acidic oceanic water at underwater vents would produce a natural proton gradient across thin mineral 'walls' in rocks that are rich in catalytic iron–sulfur minerals. This set-up could create the right conditions for converting carbon dioxide and hydrogen into organic carbon-containing molecules, which can then react with each other to form the building blocks of life such as nucleotides and amino acids.” The evidence used to support their theory was that deep-sea thermal vents have tiny thin-walled pores that generate complex proteins and RNA by producing a proton gradient. Recently, geologists took tests on the areas around the deep-sea vents and found them to have helpful information that would help them search into life on other planets. From what they have found and know about these deep-sea vents they believe that the origin of biomolecules started at these

Most life on earth is fueled directly or indirectly by sunlight. There are, however, certain groups of bacteria, referred to as chemosynthetic autotrophs, that are fueled not by the sun but by the oxidation of simple inorganic chemicals, such as sulfates or ammonia. Chemosynthesis is a process by which some organisms use chemical energy instead of light energy to make energy-storing carbon-based molecules. Chemosynthetic autotrophs are a necessary part of the nitrogen cycle. Some groups of these bacteria are well suited to conditions that would have existed on the earth billions of years ago, leading some to postulate that these are living representatives of the earliest life on earth. This view has been supported by the discovery of small

He proposed that that life was formed by the hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.They require and live on chemical energy to host many different organisms. Swarms of bacteria grew and survived on gases produced by the vents. Wachtershauser said that a biochemical cycle grew and created the first ever cell. The evidence Wachtershauser came up with was: Hydrothermal Vents make pyrite which collect and accumulate simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, monosaccharides, and organic acids. Therefore, the abundant pyrite, which was a compound, started a chemical reaction. Scientists have proved amino acids will gather on pyrite, but not much more reasoning can be found. There were no experiments involved in this

SiO2 and FePO4 are very similar in terms of their crystal structure. SiO2 consists of a metalloid bonded to oxygen atoms, whereas FePO4 consists of a transition metal which forms an ionic bond with a Phosphate ion (cation), which itself consists of a non-metal bonded to oxygen atoms. In addition, the size of Si and FeP relative to oxygen are very similar. These structural similarities mean that the observations made during the thermal transition from the alpha phase to the beta phase are also similar - loosely. This transition between phases is seen in the form of a change in the structure of the compounds once they cross a certain temperature.

correct except for our prediction for zinc and iron sulphate. We predicted that zinc and iron sulphate would have a reaction and produce zinc sulphate and iron if it followed the Activity Series of Metals. From this, we can conclude that either the Activity Series of Metals is wrong or there were some errors that occurred during the process of the

The cells evolved in the vents and escaped the vent later on. The hydrogen saturated alkaline water meeting acidic oceanic water this would create the right conditions to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into organic carbon containing molecules which can for the building blocks of life such as nucleotides and amino acids.

through the duration of the entire experiment. Part 1 involves the synthesis of an iron (III) oxalate complex. The iron is first presented in its Fe2+ form, so it must first be oxidized to

This lab is performed in order to determine the total energy in a reaction between zinc and hydrochloric acid. The reaction is done twice, once to measure the heat of the reaction and again to determine the work done in the system. This is because Enthalpy equals heat plus work (∆H= ∆E+W). Heat and work can be broken down further into separate components so the equation used in lab is ∆H=mc∆T + PV. Many calculations are used in the lab to find out what cannot be measured directly (ex: volume). After all the calculations were complete it was shown to have a very small percent error.

With the world’s carbon dioxide levels on the rise and the effects of global warming becoming increasingly devastating, it is imperative now more than ever that every mitigation strategy be thoroughly explored. Although ocean iron fertilization may seem like a fairly simple method of sequestering carbon dioxide, there is in fact a plethora of issues linked to this mitigation strategy. The aim of this literature review is to examine and analyze some of the aspects that make ocean iron fertilization such a controversial method of

Geothermal Energy The human population is currently using up its fossil fuel supplies at staggering rates. Before long we will be forced to turn somewhere else for energy. There are many possibilities such as hydroelectric energy, nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy to name a few. Each one of these choices has its pros and cons.

In the soil, ferrihydrite is a common mineral that co-occurs with organic carbon. Ferrihydrite is also known to exchange with aqueous Fe(II) and transform into more stable Fe-oxide phases at low temperature.Therefore, understanding the role of organic carbon in the long-term stability of ferrihydrite and in the fractionation of Fe isotopes due to low temperature mineral-fluid exchange is critical to evaluate the preservation potential of the Fe isotopic composition of ferrihydrite in the soil.