in our notes for strengths of acids and bases it says that you could add a strong/weak acid with a strong/weak base and it will give you a low, medium or high delta h. so wouldn't acids and bases be related to thermochemistry?
I suppose so; isn't almost anything related to thermochemistry? But what's the point of the question?
Yes, acids and bases are indeed related to thermochemistry. Thermochemistry is the study of energy changes that occur during chemical reactions and the relationships between heat, work, and various forms of energy. Acids and bases can participate in chemical reactions that involve heat exchange, which makes them relevant to thermochemistry.
When strong/weak acids and strong/weak bases react with each other, it typically results in an exothermic or endothermic reaction. The energy change associated with this reaction is quantified by the enthalpy change (ΔH). The enthalpy change is a measure of the heat energy exchanged during a chemical reaction at constant pressure.
When a strong acid reacts with a strong base, it forms a neutralization reaction, which is highly exothermic. This means that the enthalpy change (ΔH) is negative, indicating the release of heat energy. On the other hand, when a weak acid reacts with a weak base, the ΔH can vary, resulting in a low, medium, or high enthalpy change depending on the specific reactants and reaction conditions.
To determine the enthalpy change (ΔH) for an acid-base reaction, experimental techniques such as calorimetry can be used, where the heat exchange is measured directly. Alternatively, the enthalpy change can also be calculated using Hess's Law, which involves the summation of enthalpy changes for a series of reactions.
In summary, acids and bases are related to thermochemistry as their reaction with each other can result in significant heat exchange, and the enthalpy change associated with these reactions can be determined experimentally or calculated using thermodynamic principles.