Question

What is the purpose of the calibration of the calorimeter in a calorimetry investigation? If we did not calibrate the calorimeter, what type of error would this introdcue? A negative value for the heat capacity should be set to zero. Why? What would a negative value mean, if it was possible?

For a neutralization reaction, would you expected the magnitude of q to increase, decrease, or stay the same if the conentration of only the acid were doubled? Why?

Answer 1

ANS; We know that calorimeter is use to measure the heat absorbed or released in a chemical reaction and the main purpose of the calibration of the calorimeter is to determine the heat transfer to the system other than that of a chemical reaction because any other heat transfer leads to a wrong calculation of the total heat transfer as we only want to know the heat transfer by a chemical reaction and not from any other source ( heat transfer from the surroundings).

If we did not calibrate the calorimeter then we dont have a value for CALORIMTER CONSTANT which further results into the wrong estimation of the total heat transfer by the chemical reaction only.

A negative value for the heat capacity should be set to zero because a negative value for the heat capacity can result in negative temperature which is not possible as enegy neither be created nor be destroyed.

For a neutralization reaction, the magnitude of the enthalpy of the neutralization will stay the same as there has to be a certain amount of base required to be reacted with the acid.