Prediction
Butanol, Ethanol, Methanol and Propanol all have different amounts of bonds. Butanol has the most amounts of bonds and therefore I think it would take the most energy in order to break them. If more energy is put into the breaking of it then I think more energy will be given out. I think that Butanol will give out the most energy as it has the most amounts of bonds i.e. it will have the most energy put into it therefore the most will come out. Propanol will come after Butanol as it has the second most amount of bonds, it will then be followed in order Ethanol and Methanol.
Analysis
In the experiment we conducted not all my results seemed to have a general trend. With Butanol my two results 10,880 j/g and 10,629 j/g giving me an average of 10,754 j/g, I was able to take an average with these results as the two results were close enough. With Ethanol my average was 9,338 j/g, again I could take this average as the two results were close enough together. Unfortunately the two results I took for Methanol were very different, and also with Propanol. As the results were so far apart it would have been pointless in taking an average as it would have bared no resemblance to the original results taken. Our results should tell us that butanol gives out the most energy followed in order by Propanol and Ethanol i.e. Butanol should be the most reactive. The results I have taken do not agree with my prediction as I predicted that the order of energy produced would be Butanol, Propanol, Ethanol, and methanol. The results I took seemed to be very inaccurate and have no resemblance to my prediction whatsoever. I think the reason for my results not fitting in with my prediction was because the experiment we did was a very unreliable one due to the inaccuracy. Also reasons for the results being bad could be because it was not a complete fair test for instance; all of the wicks in the fuel burners were different lengths which could have given off a bigger flame in some of the burners than others. We could have also done the experiment in a fume cupboard which could have given better results. The best way to do it would have been in a specialized scientific laboratory using the correct equipment which would have given these correct results Methanol 22,300, Ethanol 29,800, Propanol 33500, and Butanol 36,000.
Evaluation
We used a method involving only the equipment in the lab which could have been a reason for the outcome. The results we took were very inaccurate and there were anomalies in the results of Methanol and Propanol. With Methanol and Propanol the two results we had varied from each other so much that they were useless and an average could not be taken. The method we used to obtain our results was a very bad one as it was unfair and very unreliable. To improve the method we used we could have altered many things , we could have made sure all the wicks were the same length, we could have done it in the fume cupboard to ensure less chance of interruption, we could have performed the experiment more times and looked at the best results taken, and used a specilised lab. The anomalous results taken were because the experiment was such an inaccurate one, if the experiment had had the changes made above then maybe the result we took could have been slightly better. With the results and evidence we have obtained I don’t think there is enough for us to draw a firm conclusion, as if we did it would probably be far too inaccurate to be worthwhile. Further work we could have done could have been to extend our practical work and go into far more detail. We could have also done more research in books and searched for better methods and ways in performing our practical.
