Question

Would the amount of heat absorbed by the dissolution in Example 9.6 appear greater, lesser, or remain the same if the experimenter used a calorimeter that was a poorer insulator than a coffee cup calorimeter? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Using a poorly insulated calorimeter would lead to a seemingly lesser amount of heat absorbed by the dissolution, due to greater heat loss to the environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the experimenter used a calorimeter that was a poorer insulator than a coffee cup calorimeter, the amount of heat absorbed by the dissolution in Example 9.6 would appear lesser.

This is because the calorimeter would allow more heat to escape to the environment, thus showing a smaller temperature change than if an insulated 'coffee cup' calorimeter had been used.

In calorimetry, an insulated calorimeter is crucial to minimize heat exchange with the surroundings and to get a more accurate measure of the heat involved in the process.