TITLE: Enthalpy of Combustion Planning and Designing

SCENARIO: Sue thinks that coconut oil produces more heat when cooking than vegetable oil.

HYPOTHESIS: Vegetable oil releases more heat than coconut oil

AIM: To compare the heat of combustion of coconut oil and vegetable oil using a calorimeter

MATERIALS: thermometer, coconut oil, vegetable oil, cardboard box lined with aluminium
foil, clamp and retort stand, metal can (calorimeter), cotton balls, digital scale, petri dish, metal
paper clip, water, ruler

3
METHOD: Measure 50cm of water and pour into the metal can. Measure the temperature of
the water. Hang the metal can on the clamp and retort the stand using a paper clip. Measure the
mass of a cotton swab using a digital scale. Attach to a paper clip and position 7.5 cm below the
metal can. Insulate the system using the cardboard box lined with aluminium foil. Light the
cotton ball with a lit splint and recorded the temperature change of the water after it has burnt for
2 minutes. Repeat the above procedure using a cotton ball (same mass as the previous cotton
ball) soaked in 3 g of coconut oil and vegetable oil respectively and record the mass of residue
left in the petri dish.

VARIABLES:
Controlled- the volume of water, volume of oil, the mass of cotton used, distance between can
and cotton ball
Manipulated- The type of oil used
Responding- The final temperature of the water
DATA TO BE COLLECTED:

TABLE SHOWING THE MASS OF COTTON USED AND THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE
OF THE WATER BEFORE AND AFTER BURNING FOR 2 MINUTES

Mass of Petri dish /g

Mass of Petri dish + mass of cotton ball / g
Mass of cotton ball/ g
0
Temperature of water before heating / C
0
Temperature of water after heating/ C
0
Temperature change / C
Distance of Cotton ball from the tin/cm

TABLE SHOWING THE MASS OF COCONUT OIL USED AND THE TEMPERATURE
CHANGE OF THE WATER BEFORE AND AFTER BURNING FOR 2 MINUTES

Mass of Petri dish /g

Mass of Petri dish + mass of cotton ball / g
Mass of cotton ball/ g
Mass of Petri dish with soaked cotton ball / g
Mass of coconut oil used / g
0
Temperature of water before heating / C
0
Temperature of water after heating/ C
0
Temperature change / C
Distance of Cotton ball from tin/cm
Residue of coconut oil in petri dish/cm
 TABLE SHOWING THE MASS OF VEGETABLE OIL USED AND THE TEMPERATURE
CHANGE OF THE WATER BEFORE AND AFTER BURNING FOR 2 MINUTES

Mass of Petri dish /g

Mass of Petri dish + mass of cotton ball / g
Mass of cotton / g
Mass of Petri dish with soaked cotton ball / g
Mass of vegetable oil used / g
0
Temperature of water before heating / C
0
Temperature of water after heating/ C
0
Temperature change / C
Distance of Cotton ball from the tin/cm
Residue of coconut oil in petri dish/cm

TREATMENT OF DATA:
Q= mcΔT
1 mol of coconut oil = mass/RMM
1 mol of vegetable oil= mass/RMM
1 mol of cotton (cellulose)= mass/RMM

EXPECTED RESULTS: This experiment is carried out on the basis that the greater the enthalpy
change of a substance is the more heat would be released. If the enthalpy change of the vegetable
oil is greater than that of vegetable oil, then the hypothesis would be true. If the enthalpy change
of the coconut oil is greater than that of vegetable oil, then the hypothesis would be false.

ASSUMPTION: The specific heat capacity of water is 4.2 J/g. K and that the hotter the water
gets the more heat is released by the oil.

SOURCE OF ERROR: Heat may have been lost to the environment