ΔT = T(mix) - T(initial)
And the equations is:
HCl(aq)+ NaOH(aq) => NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
And T(mix) = 37 C
50.0 mL of 2.0M HCl = 23.7 C
50.0 mL of 2.0M NaOH = 23.5 C
How do I find T(initial), do I just use their averages? Thanks
As they are the same volume it is fine to average the two temperatures.
Especially as the subtraction
(37-23.6)C = 13.4C which is 13C to zero dp. (The 37C with zero dp governs the number of dps in the answer).
To find T(initial), you need to consider the individual temperatures of the reactants before they are mixed. In this case, you have two separate solutions: 50.0 mL of 2.0M HCl and 50.0 mL of 2.0M NaOH. The temperature of each solution is given as 23.7 °C for HCl and 23.5 °C for NaOH.
To find T(initial), you can take the average of these two temperatures. Adding the given temperatures and dividing by 2 will give you the average temperature. In this case, (23.7 + 23.5) / 2 = 23.6 °C.
Therefore, T(initial) for the reaction is 23.6 °C.