Question

Would the amount of heat absorbed by the dissolution in Example 5.6 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.

a) Greater, due to increased heat transfer in a poorer insulator.
b) Lesser, as a poorer insulator reduces heat absorption.
c) Remain the same, regardless of the calorimeter's insulation.
d) None of the above.

Answer 1

Using a poorer insulator than a coffee cup calorimeter for calorimetry would result in a lesser amount of heat absorption being measured, as more heat would be lost to the surroundings.

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 5.6 would appear lesser because more heat would likely be lost to the surroundings. A coffee cup calorimeter, being a simple and not perfectly insulated device, allows some heat exchange with the environment.

If a calorimeter with even poorer insulation is used, this heat exchange would increase, resulting in less heat being absorbed by the solution and more being dissipated into the environment, thus lowering the measured amount of heat associated with the dissolution process.