A mixture of NaOH and HCl is formed in a calorimeter. There is 50 mL of 2.078 Molar HCl and 51.7mL of 2.134 Molar NaOH.
How would the heat capacity of the calorimeter change if you were to double the volume of NaOH? Justify your answer
To determine how the heat capacity of the calorimeter changes when the volume of NaOH is doubled, we need to understand the concept of heat capacity and the principle of calorimetry.
Calorimetry is the science of measuring heat transfer, typically in a controlled environment called a calorimeter. The heat capacity of a calorimeter refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise its temperature by a certain amount.
In this scenario, we have a mixture of HCl and NaOH in a calorimeter. When these two substances react, they undergo a neutralization reaction, resulting in the formation of water and a salt.
To find out how the heat capacity of the calorimeter changes when the volume of NaOH is doubled, we need to consider the heat released or absorbed during the reaction.
First, let's calculate the moles of HCl and NaOH:
moles of HCl = volume of HCl (in liters) * concentration of HCl
= 0.050 L * 2.078 mol/L
= 0.1039 mol
moles of NaOH = volume of NaOH (in liters) * concentration of NaOH
= 0.0517 L * 2.134 mol/L
= 0.1102 mol
Now, since the reaction between HCl and NaOH is 1:1, we can see that the amount of HCl and NaOH used are stoichiometrically balanced. This means that all HCl will react completely (if excess NaOH is present) or all NaOH will react completely (if excess HCl is present).
During the neutralization reaction, heat is released. The heat released or absorbed can be calculated using the equation:
q (heat) = m (mass) * c (specific heat) * ΔT (change in temperature)
The heat capacity of the calorimeter includes the heat absorbed or released by the reaction and the heat required to raise the temperature of the calorimeter itself. Since the question asks about the change in heat capacity due to doubling the volume of NaOH, we can assume that the heat required to raise the temperature of the calorimeter remains constant.
Therefore, the only change in the heat capacity of the calorimeter would come from the reaction itself. As mentioned before, the reaction is stoichiometrically balanced, so doubling the volume of NaOH would result in double the amount of moles of NaOH reacting, and subsequently double the heat released.
Hence, if you were to double the volume of NaOH, the heat capacity of the calorimeter would also double.