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A 0.468 g sample of pentane, C 5 H 12 , was burned in a bomb calorimeter. The te

ID: 976401 • Letter: A

Question

A 0.468 g sample of pentane, C5H12, was burned in a bomb calorimeter. The temperature of the calorimeter and 1.00 kg of water in it rose from 20.45 °C to 23.65 °C. The heat capacity of the calorimeter by itself is 2.21 kJ/°C and the specific heat capacity of water is 4.184 J/g.°C What is the heat of combustion per mole of pentane?

A 0.468 g sample of pentane, C5H12, was burned in a bomb calorimeter. The temperature of the calorimeter and 1.00 kg of water in it rose from 20.45 °C to 23.65 °C. The heat capacity of the calorimeter by itself is 2.21 kJ/°C and the specific heat capacity of water is 4.184 J/g.°C What is the heat of combustion per mole of pentane?

Explanation / Answer

mol of pentane = mass/MW = 0.468/72.15 = 0.00648 mol of C5H12

dT = 23.65-20.45 = 3.2 °C

C = 2.21 kJ/°C

Cp = 4.184

Qgained = -Qlost

Qgained = Qwater + Qcalorimeter

Qlost = -HRxn/n

Qwater = m*C*(Tf-Ti) = 1000*4.184*(23.65-20.45) = 13388.8 J

Qcalorimeter = C*dT = 2.21*1000*3.2 = 7072 J

Q total = 13388.8 +7072 = 20460.8 J

Qlost = -Qgain = - 20460.8

Qlost = HRxn/n

Qlost = -20460.8/(0.00648 ) = 3157530.8642 J/mol = 3157.53 kJ/mol