Preview - Energy In Chemical Reactions

The Ideal Material for a Calorimeter

Now that you have experimented using several different container materials, you will determine which material is best suited for a calorimeter.

On page 1 of this lesson, it was stated that the ideal calorimeter must prevent the transfer of thermal energy between the calorimeter's container and its environment in order to allow for an accurate determination of the thermal energy transferred.

The data you acquired for aluminum, glass, and Styrofoam is shown below.

Referenced Questions

These questions were answered in the previous steps. They are provided here for your reference.

Run your first experiment using aluminum as your container material after placing sensors as described in the directions above. After adding KI or Ca (this is your choice, but you must keep this constant throughout the rest of your experiments on this page) allow the simulation to run for a minimum of 1000 ticks, then complete the data table below.

Run your next experiment using glass as your container material (there is no need to replace the sensors). Choose glass in the dropdown menu, hit the "setup" button, then the "run/pause" button. After adding KI or Ca (whatever you added your last experiment) allow the simulation to run for a minimum of 1000 ticks, then complete the data table below.

Run your final experiment using Styrofoam as your container material. Choose Styrofoam in the dropdown menu, hit the "setup" button, then the "run/pause" button. After adding KI or Ca (whatever you added your last experiment) allow the simulation to run for a minimum of 1000 ticks, then complete the data table below.

Questions

Please answer the questions below.

Of the container materials you tested, which material will make the best calorimeter? Explain your answer and cite your data as evidence for your choice.

Notes

These notes will appear on every page in this lesson so feel free to put anything here you'd like to keep track of.