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Investigating The Total Heat Energy Released

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Data Analysis

In order to determine the total heat energy released by each of the fuel sources, a graph will need to be constructed to demonstrate the change in the temperature of water over the entire duration of the experiment. From this graph, a linear trendline will be created for the last 3 data points where the water was allowed to cool, which can be extrapolated backwards to determine the total decrease in the temperature of the water due to a loss of energy to the surrounding environment during the combustion of the fuel. The difference between the highest and lowest temperature values will then be used to calculate the total change in the temperature of water during the combustion of the fuels. Below, one representative graph and …show more content…

Density of water = mass of watervolume of water

mass of water = (0.998 g cm-3)(80.0 mL ± 0.5 1cm31 mL) , given that the density of water at 20.1 °C is 0.998 g cm-3

mass of water = (0.998 g cm-3)(80.0 cm3 ± 1%)

mass of water = 79.8 g ± 1%

mass of water = 79.8 g ± 0.8

q=mcT

q=(79.8 g ± 0.8) (4.18 Jg-1K-1)(71.8 K ± 0.2), given that the change in temperature, in °C, is equivalent to the change in temperature in K.

q=(79.8 g ± 1%) (4.18 Jg-1K-1)(71.8 K ± 0%)

q = 23900 J ± 1%

q = 23900 J ± 200

q = 23900 J ± 200 1kJ1000J

q = 23.9 kJ ± 0.2

Sample calculation 3: calculations performed to determine the total heat energy released per mole of the kerosene during its combustion for the first trial.

Energy per mole = q(initial mass of spirit lamp with kerosene- final mass of spirit lamp with kerosene) MM of kerosene

Energy per mole = 23.9 kJ ± 0.2 (115.93 g ± 0.01 - 114.45 g ± 0.01) 170.38 g mol-1 , given that the main hydrocarbon in kerosene is C12H26

Energy per mole = 23.9 kJ ± 1% 1.48g ± 1% 170.38 g mol-1

Energy per mole = 2750 kJ ± 2%

Energy per mole = 2750 kJ ± 50

The final values for the energy per mole for all trials can be averaged to reduce random experimental error. Once the calculations above are repeated for all fuel sources, the summarized results can be shown, in comparison to literature values for the heat of combustion to determine the most

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