An experiment to investigate the factors that determine the amount of energy released when alcohols are burned.

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Chemistry SC1

An experiment to investigate the factors that determine the amount of energy released when alcohols are burned

By Khalid Attia

Planning

Statement of Problem

In this investigation, I will be investigating all of the factors that determine the amount of energy released when any given alcohol is burnt.

Input Variables

In this investigation, there are many different variables that will affect the amount of energy produced when alcohols are burnt. These variables are called the Input Variables and they are the following:

1) Number of Carbon atoms present (type of alcohol)

2) Concentration of alcohol (purity)

3) Amount of alcohol (volume or mass)

4) Oxygen supply (for combustion)

Each of these variables will affect the amount of energy produced when an

alcohol is burnt in similar ways but some variables have a larger affect than others, therefore choosing the right one is essential.

If the number of carbon atoms in the alcohol is increased, its molecular structure will be larger. This can be seen from this general equation - CnH2n+1OH. When combustion is complete, carbon dioxide and water are