Question

the heat of fusion of palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid found in meats, etc.) is 39.18 cal/gram at its melting point. the chemical formula for palmitic acid is c16h3202. its molecular weight is 256. how many calories of heat energy are needed to convert 0.5 mole of palmitic acid from a solid to a liquid at its melting point?

Answer 1

5015.04 cal

Step-by-step explanation:

The heat of fusion is the heat needed for a molecule to change its form from solid to liquid(melting). The molecular weight for palmitic acid is 256 and you have 0.5 moles, then the number of palmitic acids you have in grams will be:

0.5 moles * (256g/mole)= 128g.

You have 128 g of palmitic acid and its heat of fusion is 39.18 cal/g. The total number of calories you need to melt it all will be: 128g * 39.18cal/g= 5015.04 cal