ENCHEM1L: Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory

Experiment No.: 3

Calorimetry: Heat of Solution

I. Objective

This activity aims to solve for the heat of solution using the concept of calorimetry.

II. Topic Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

• Set up heat balance and determine the heat capacity of the coffee-cup calorimeter.
• Solve for the heat of solution of various inorganic salts.

III. Discussion

Thermochemistry is the study of heat changes that accompany chemical reactions. It

deals with the amount of heat either absorbed or given off during such chemical reactions. When heat is
given off by the system the reaction is said to be endothermic. A devise used for measuring heat changes
that accompany chemical reactions is called a calorimeter.

Consider the improvised calorimeter made up of truncated Styrofoam cup inverted above another
Styrofoam cup where a thermometer is inserted through the inverted cup. This improvised calorimeter is
called “Coffee-Cup Calorimeter” set-up. It uses Styrofoam since it is an excellent insulator. An excellent
insulator means that any heat evolved by a reaction results in a temperature increase of the contents.
However, there is some heat lost or heat gained by the calorimeter, so the heat capacity of the calorimeter
is determined by measuring the heat loss or heat gain when hot water of a given mass is mixed with ice
cubes of a given mass.

Calorimeters are designed to be well-insulated, so no heat is gained from or lost to the

surroundings. If no heating element is used to introduce heat in the system, the total heat (q) for the
entire calorimeter system must equal zero. The total heat can be split into heats for each component in
the system.

0 = 𝑞 = 𝑞𝑖𝑐𝑒 + 𝑞𝑐𝑎𝑙 + 𝑞𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

When the salt has been dissolved, the system contains two substances, the calorimeter itself and
the aqueous solution, and there is a heat associated with each component. The heat balance for this
experiment is thus

0 = 𝑞 = 𝑞𝑟𝑥𝑛 + 𝑞𝑐𝑎𝑙 + 𝑞𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛

The basic strategy in calorimetry is to use a temperature change and a heat capacity to determine
a heat.

𝑞𝑐𝑎𝑙 = 𝐶𝑐𝑎𝑙 ∆𝑇 = 𝐶𝑐𝑎𝑙 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖 )

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ENCHEM1L: Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory

𝑞𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 = 𝐶𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 ∆𝑇 = 𝑚𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖 )

One typically determines the heat capacity of the aqueous solution (C soln) from the mass of the solution
(msoln) and the specific heat capacity of the solution (ssoln). The mass of the solution is the sum of the
masses of the water and MX originally placed in the calorimeter. The specific heat capacity of the aqueous
solution is usually close to that of pure water (4.184 J °C -1 g-1).

IV. Materials

4 - Styrofoam Cups
1 – 50 mL Graduated Cylinder
1 - Triangular File
2 - Thermometer
2 - Watch Glass
Small Ice
1 - 100 mL Beaker
CaCl2
Electronic Balance
NH4Cl
1 – 100 mL Graduated Cylinder

V. Procedure

A. Calorimeter Set-up

1. Cut one Styrofoam cup 1.5 inches from the open-end bottom. It will be used as a cover to the
other Styrofoam cup and prevent any heat losses to the surroundings.
2. Use the triangular file to drill a hole on the bottom of the cup cover.
3. Add 70 -100 mL of water (preferably distilled) to the other unaltered Styrofoam cup.
4. Place the cup cover inverted on the unaltered Styrofoam cup. Insert the thermometer
through the hole of the cover cup. This will be your Calorimeter 1.
5. Record the initial temperature of the water.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 for the other Styrofoam cup. This will be your Calorimeter 2.

B. Determination of Heat Capacity of Calorimeters

1. Weigh an empty and dry watch glass plus tissue using electronic balance. Record the weight
in the data sheet.
2. The next steps should be done as fast as possible to avoid too much ice from melting:
a) Get an ice from your instructor.
b) Place the ice on the watch glass + tissue. Record the combined weight of the watch
glass + tissue and ice.
c) Pick up the ice then place it in the prepared Calorimeter 1.
3. Record the temperature at 15 seconds interval for 3 minutes.
4. Determine the weight of the watch glass plus wet tissue.
5. Repeat the steps 1 to 4 for the second calorimeter. Note that dry the surface of the electronic
balance and the watch glass BEFORE weighing another sample of ice.

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ENCHEM1L: Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory

C. Determination of Heat of Solution for Various Inorganic Salts

1. Weigh 3.0 g of NH4Cl using the method below:

a. Place a watch glass on electronic balance and click “tare”. Make sure that the reading
is zero.
b. Carefully add NH4Cl until the reading reaches 3.0 grams.
2. Change the water (50 mL) in Calorimeter 1 then measure the initial temperature of the water.
3. Add the prepared salt in the Calorimeter 1.
4. Immediately add the cover cup then slightly stir the solution
5. Record the temperature at 15 seconds interval for 3 minutes.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 but use 2.5 grams of CaCl2 in Calorimeter 2.

VI. Data and Result

Table 6.1: Mass of Ice in Heat Balance

Calorimeter 1 Calorimeter 2
Mass (grams) Mass (grams)
Watch Glass + tissue Watch Glass + tissue
Watch Glass + tissue + Watch Glass + tissue +
Ice Ice
Watch Glass + Wet Watch Glass + Wet
tissue tissue
Ice Ice

Table 6.2: Temperature Gradient for Ice-Water System

Calorimeter 1 Calorimeter 2
Time (t, s) Temperature (T, °C) Time (t, s) Temperature (T, °C)
0 0
15 15
30 30
45 45
60 60
75 75
90 90
105 105
120 120
135 135
150 150
165 165
180 180

Table 6.3: Temperature Gradient for Various Salt Solutions

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ENCHEM1L: Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory

NH4Cl CaCl2
t (sec) T (°C) t (sec) T (°C)
0 0
15 15
30 30
45 45
60 60
75 75
90 90
105 105
120 120
135 135
150 150
165 165
180 180

VII. Treatment of Result.

1. Using Excel, plot the time versus temperature for the ice-water system for both calorimeters. What did
you observe?

2. Write the complete heat balance equation and solve for the heat capacity of the calorimeter 1 and 2.

3. Using Excel, plot the time (x-axis) versus temperature (y-axis) for each salt. What did you observe?

4. Using the calculated heat capacity of the calorimeter, solve for the heat of solution of each inorganic
salt.

5. Calculate the percent error of the heat of solution of each inorganic salt.

Table 7.1 Theoretical Heat of Solution

NH4Cl ° CaCl2 °
∆𝐻𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 = +14.7 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙 ∆𝐻𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 = −81.4 𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙

VIII. Questions

1. Which salt is exothermic and endothermic?

2. What is heat of solution? What is the difference between heat of solution from heat of reaction?

3. What are the restraining conditions in the experiment?

IX. Conclusion

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