NAME: Dimitri Siewnarine CLASS: 6N1

LAB #: 11 DATE: 29/01/2024

TITLE: ENTHALPY OF REACTION

AIM: To determine the enthalpy change for the reaction of magnesium and hydrochloric acid.

APPARATUS/ MATERIALS:
Polystyrene cup, 50.0 ml measuring cylinder, electronic balance, glass rod, thermometer,
weighing bottle, Mg powder, 2M HCl
METHOD:

1. 0.48g of Mg powder was accurately weighed in a weighing bottle.

2. 50.0ml of HCl was then measured using a measuring cylinder and placed into a
polystyrene cup.

3. The temperature of the solution was taken every 30 seconds for 3.5 minutes.

4. At exactly 4 minutes, the magnesium powder from the weighing bottle was added into
the polystyrene cup and stirred.

5. The reading at the 4th minute was ignored but the temperature was continually recorded
in 30 second intervals from 4.5 minutes to 10 minutes.

6. The empty bottle was reweighed with any residue and the value was recorded.

RESULTS:

TABLE ONE SHOWING THE RECORDED MASSES OF THE MAGNESIUM POWDER,

THE WEIGHING BOTTLE AND MAGNESIUM POWDER AND THE WEIGHING BOTTLE
AND RESIDUE.

Mass of weighing bottle and Mg/ g 37.69

Mass of weighing bottle and residue/g 37.26
Mass of Mg powder/g 0.48
RESULTS:

TABLE TWO SHOWING THE TEMPERATURES RECORDED FOR THE REACTION

BETWEEN HCl and Mg FROM 0 TO 10 MINUTES IN 30 SECOND INTERVALS.

TIME/ MINUTES TEMPERATURE/ °C

0.0 25.0
0.5 24.5
1.0 24.5
1.5 24.5
2.0 24.5
2.5 24.5
3.0 24.5
3.5 24.0
4.0 -
4.5 48.0
5.0 46.0
5.5 43.0
6.0 41.0
6.5 41.0
7.0 41.0
7.5 41.0
8.0 40.5
8.5 40.5
9.0 40.0
9.5 39.5
10.0 39.0

The temperature at the 4th minute was determined to be 48.2°C by utilizing the graph.

CALCULATIONS:

Equation: Magnesium + Hydrochloric Acid  Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen

Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq)  MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)
1 2 1 1
CALCULATIONS:

Concentration of HCl: 2 mol dm-3

Volume of HCl used: 50.0 cm3
Volume of NaOH used (dm3): 50.0 ÷ 1000 = 0.050 dm3
Number of moles of HCl used: Concentration x Volume
= 2 x 0.050 = 0.1 moles

Mass of Mg used: 0.48g

Molar Mass of Mg: 24 g mol-1
Number of moles of Mg used: Mass ÷ Molar Mass
0.48 ÷ 24 = 0.02 moles

Since the ratio between Mg and HCl is a 1:2 ratio, 0.02 moles of Mg will react with (0.02 x 2=
0.04) moles of HCl. There will therefore be excess HCl and this makes Mg the limiting
reactant.

Final temperature Tf : 48.2°C

Initial temperature Ti : 24.5°C
Change in temperature ΔT: Tf - Ti
= 48.2 – 24.5 = 23.7°C

Mass of HCl used m: 50g

Specific Heat Capacity of Solution c: 4.18 J g-1 K-1
Change in Temperature ΔT: 23.7°C
CALCULATIONS:

ΔHrxn= mcΔT = (50) (4.18) (23.7) = 4953.3J

The environment gained 4953.3J, therefore the system lost 4953.3J. ΔHrxn= -4953.3J

Heat Change ΔHrxn: -4953.3J

Number of moles of Mg: 0.02 moles
−𝟒𝟗𝟓𝟑.𝟑
ΔHrxn when 1 mole of Mg reacts with HCl: x 1 = -247665 J mol-1 or -247.7 kJ mol-1
𝟎.𝟎𝟐

DISCUSSION:
Enthalpy is the overall energy of a reaction. It deals with the energy content of both reactants and
products in a reaction. It is denoted by the symbol ‘ΔH’. The enthalpy of reaction (ΔHrxn) is
defined as the heat change of a chemical reaction that occurs at constant pressure. The reaction
that took place when magnesium reacted with hydrochloric acid was an exothermic reaction. An
exothermic reaction is one in which energy is released causing an increase in temperature to the
surroundings. The energy of the products is therefore less than the energy of the reactants in this
type of reaction (Hp < Hr) and the total energy is negative (-ve). When the reaction occurred,
effervescence and the evolution of white fumes (hydrogen gas) was observed. The polystyrene
cup also heated up.
Chemical Equation: Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq)  MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)
SOURCES OF ERROR:

 Incomplete transfer of Mg powder.

 Heat loss to the environment.

PRECAUTIONS:

 It was ensured that the bulb of the thermometer was completely immersed in the solution.
 It was ensured that bulb of the thermometer did not touch the walls of the polystyrene
cup.

ASSUMPTIONS:

 The specific heat capacity of the solution was the same as that of water (4.18 J g-1 K-1).
 The density of the solution was 1 g cm-3 (same as water).

REFLECTION:
This lab increased my knowledge on energy changes that occur during chemical reactions and
their real life functions. Enthalpy plays a crucial role in many industries. It is used in the burning
of fossil fuels to determine how much energy is outputted when it is burnt to gauge efficiency
and cost. It is also utilized in the medical industry to produce hot and cold packs and in the
production of refrigerators.

CONCLUSION:
The enthalpy change for the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid was determined
to be -247.7 kJ mol-1