Question

A student performs an experiment several × to determine the enthalpy of combustion of naphthalene, an organic compound with the formula C10H8. What is the most likely reason for conducting multiple trials in this experiment?

A) To ensure the accuracy of the measurements
B) To confirm the chemical formula of naphthalene
C) To analyze the color changes during combustion
D) To observe the physical properties of naphthalene

Answer 1

The student performs multiple trials to ensure the accuracy of the measurements, reduce random errors, and improve the reliability of the enthalpy calculation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely reason a student would perform multiple trials in an experiment to determine the enthalpy of combustion of naphthalene is A) To ensure the accuracy of the measurements. Conducting multiple trials helps to minimize random errors and improve the reliability of the results. Repetition allows for the calculation of an average value, which tends to be closer to the true value, and it provides a measure of the precision of the experiment through the consistency of the results across trials.