Multiple Choice
How much energy is required to vaporize 10.00 grams of water at its boiling point (100 °C)? (The enthalpy of vaporization of water at 100 °C is 40.7 kJ/mol.)
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8. Thermochemistry
Heat Capacity
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Why is it important to determine the heat capacity of the calorimeter in a calorimetry experiment?
A
To measure the pressure inside the calorimeter during the reaction.
B
To determine the concentration of solutions used in the calorimeter.
C
To account for the heat absorbed or released by the calorimeter itself, ensuring accurate measurement of the reaction's heat change.
D
To calculate the mass of the reactants used in the experiment.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that in a calorimetry experiment, the goal is to measure the heat change (q) associated with a chemical reaction or physical process.
Recognize that the calorimeter itself can absorb or release heat during the experiment, which affects the total heat measured.
Realize that if the heat absorbed by the calorimeter is not accounted for, the calculated heat change of the reaction will be inaccurate.
Therefore, determining the heat capacity of the calorimeter (often denoted as C_cal) allows you to quantify how much heat the calorimeter absorbs or releases.
By including the calorimeter's heat capacity in calculations, you can correct the measured temperature changes to find the true heat change of the reaction, ensuring accurate results.
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