The heat of combustion of a series of alcohols

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Tomoki Kuramochi 10C2

The heat of combustion of series of alcohols

Aim:Calculate the heats of combustion of the series of alcohols and use your results to predict the heat of combustion of heptanol C7H15OH.

Plan

Prediction

When ethanol burner is burnt it is giving off energy this is called heat of combustion. The aim is to calculate the heat of combustion of the series of alcohols and use my results to predict the heat of combustion of heptanol. The alcohols are made from hydrogen and carbons. Methane is CH4 , ethane is C2H6 , propane is C3H8 and so on. The formula for calculating the number of hydrogen in a hydrocarbon is H=2 C+2. Alkanes are hydrocarbons with single bonds. The alcohol with the least amount of hydrogen and carbon will be the most efficient because the more it has it can use a lot of itself. When there are more carbons on the alcohols it will use less mass of the alcohol, so heptanol, seven carbons would use not a lot, near the octanol experiment.  

Variables

The main key variable in this experiment is the alcohol burner. The whole aim of the experiment is to calculate the heat of combustion for a series of alcohols and use my results to predict the combustion of heptanol, so therefore I have carried out the experiments with ethane, butane and octane. There is 2 carbon on ethane 4 on butane and 8 carbon on octane. There could be a pattern in which it is doubled. Also, to keep it a fair test the amount of water used must be 100 g each time and should not be hot from the start.

Apparatus and equipment

To test out my predictions I have put together an experiment which will enable me to give me an idea about what heptanol would be like.

I shall use 3 different burners ethane, butane and octane. Firstly I need to weigh the burner to find out the mass of burner and ethanol, butanol or octanol at the start.  I shall heat the water in the tin can using the burner each time. The 100g of water is in a tin can which is clamped above the burner so the burner will heat the water. After, it has rose 20 take it and weigh the burner to find out the mass of the burner and ethanol, butanol or octanol at the end. To find out the ethanol used take away the beginning mass of ethanol, butanol or octanol and the end mass.  

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This is a diagram of how I would do the experiment.

Safety precautions

As this experiment has heating alcohols it is essential to wear goggles to protect the eyes. Great care must be taken when handling the alcohols. A lab coat might be good idea to wear form spillage of the alcohols to clothes. It might be safer if you had a heat proof mat. If you spill the alcohol on your hands it is essential to wash with soap as its smell is bad for your health. If you drop the burner on the floor it is important ...

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