CHM170L Physical Chemistry 1 Laboratory

4th Quarter SY 2009-2010

Heat of Combustion
Nieva, Aileen D.1, Arceo, Mary Anne V., Cuales, Jelline C., Kim, Sung Min, Ngan, Emil Joseph T., Rivera, Jainie Lynne
B.2
Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biotechnology, Mapua Institute of Technology; 2Student (s), CHM170L/A41, School of Chemical Engineering,
Chemistry and Biotechnology, Mapua Institute of Technology
1

ABSTRACT
In this experiment, the objectives are to be familiar with the calibration of bomb calorimeter, to determine and
compare the heat of combustion of a non-aromatic and an aromatic compound and to use calorimetry in studying
compounds of differing aromaticity. Heat of combustion, or enthalpy of combustion, is one of the standard
enthalpies of transition or the standard enthalpy changes that accompany a change of physical state. It is the
energy liberated as heat when one mole of a substance is burned in oxygen. A bomb calorimeter is commonly used
to determine this physical quantity. 1351 Parr Bomb Calorimeter, designed to provide rapid and reliable heat of
combustion values for solid and liquid fuels will be used to determine the heat of combustion of benzoic acid and
naphthalene, which are aromatic compounds, and sucrose, a type of sugar.
Samples were obtained in the solid form, weighed and subsequently, pelletized using the pellet press and about
0.01 to 0.02g of iron wire was used as ignition. The bomb calorimeter was then set up and naphthalene followed by
sucrose and benzoic acid were tested to calibrate the equipment. After combustion, the bomb was cleaned for
combustion products.
We have observed that the aromatic compounds, naphthalene and benzoic acid, have higher heat of combustion
compared to non-aromatic compounds such as sucrose. All in all, the objectives of this experiment are achieved.
Students were acquainted with the use of the Parr 1351 calorimeter and explained how the structure of a compound
can affect its heat of combustion.

INTRODUCTION
The heat of combustion is the energy released as heat
when a compound undergoes complete combustion with
oxygen under standard conditions. The chemical reaction is
typically a hydrocarbon reacting with oxygen to form carbon
dioxide, water and heat.
A combustion reaction is a reaction in which a substance
reacts with oxygen, usually with the release of heat and
light to produce a flame.
Calorimetry is the branch of physical chemistry dealing with
the measurement of heat effects accompanying chemical or
physical transformations. If this process occurs at a
constant pressure, the heat measured directly is qp; it is qv
when measured at constant volume. Heat changes in
physical and chemical processes are measured with a

Experiment 06 Group No. 4 01 June 2010

calorimeter, a closed container designed specifically for this

purpose.
Heat of combustion is usually measured by placing a known
mass of a compound in a steel container called a constantvolume calorimeter, which is filled with oxygen at about 30
atm of pressure.
Bomb Calorimeter connotes the explosive nature of the
reaction in the presence of excess oxygen gas. The heat
given off by the sample is absorbed by the water and the
bomb. The special design of the calorimeter enables us to
assume that no heat (or mass) is lost to the surroundings
during the time it takes to make measurements.

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By measuring the temperature change of the water, the

heat evolved from the sample burned (qv) can be
determined. It is the change in internal energy (U) from its
final state.
The Parr 1351 Oxygen Combustion Bomb Calorimeter has
been designed to provide rapid and reliable heat of
combustion values for solid and liquid fuels.

Oxygen tank
bomb calorimeter
Power supply
pelletizer

There are three main parts of the oxygen bomb calorimeter:

1. A bomb, which houses the sample and the oxygen
for the combustion reaction.
2. The steel bucket, which holds a measured amount
of water, the thermometer and the bomb.
3. The outer jacket, which thermally insulates the
entire apparatus
Adiabatic calorimetry is used primarily for the study of
thermal hazards and the consequences of a maloperation
during a process, for instance a misfeed or loss of cooling.
This is because on larger scales the effective natural
cooling rates are negligible in comparison to heat
generation, and many large process vessels can therefore
be
considered
to
be
adiabatic.
An adiabatic calorimeter is designed to simulate the thermal
behaviour of larger scale chemical reactors, especially
when studying uncontrolled and run-away reactions.
METHODOLOGY
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
Equipment and Glassware
Bomb Calorimeter, pelletizer, power supply and oxygen
tank

Parts of bomb calorimeter

The Reagents used are the following:
Benzoic acid, naphthalene, sucrose
Benzoic Acid C7H6O2 (or C6H5COOH), is a colorless
crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid.
The name derived from gum benzoin, which was for a long
time the only source for benzoic acid. This weak acid and
its salts are used as a food preservative.
Naphthalene also known as naphthalin, naphthaline, moth
ball, tar camphor, white tar, or albocarbo, is a crystalline,
aromatic, white, solid hydrocarbon, best known as the
primary ingredient of mothballs. It is manufactured from
coal tar, and converted to phthalic anhydride for the
manufacture of plastics, dyes and solvents.

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Sucrose also called saccharose, is a disaccharide with the

molecular formula C12H22O11. Its systematic name is -Dglucopyranosyl-(12)--D-fructofuranose. It is best known
for its role in human nutrition and is formed by plants but
not by higher organisms.
Experimental Procedure

You will perform the combustion of benzoic acid

twice to calibrate the bomb.
You will determine the heat of combustion of
naphthalene. Do an absolute minimum of two
runs.
You will use calorimetry to study compounds with
differing aromaticity.

Prepare a pellet of
sample
(sucrose,
benzoic acid or
naphthalene). Use
less than one gram of
solid to do this. Then weigh the pellet accurately
and place in the dish inside the bomb. Weigh a ten
cm. piece of ignition wire and then connect this to
terminals inside the bomb.
Assemble the bomb adding exactly 2000 ml of
distilled H2O using the large graduated cylinder
provided for this purpose.
Using the bomb calorimeter is used to determine
the enthalpy of combustion which is consists
primarily of 25 atm of oxygen gas and the stainless
steel bomb reaction vessel containing a weighed
sample of the compound surrounded by a liquid,
such as water, that absorbs the heat of the
reaction and thus increases in temperature to
insure complete combustion. The combustion
reaction is initiated by passing an electrical current
through an iron fuse wire in contact with the
sample. The reaction vessel is immersed in an
insulated water bath. The heat released in the
combustion reaction is absorbed by the water and
the other parts of the calorimeter, thereby causing
the temperature of the calorimeter to rise.
Upon completion of the run, remove the bomb and
place it in the steel receptacle. CAREFULLY
release the pressure by loosening the needle
valve on top of the bomb. Weigh the remnants of
the ignition wire.

Experiment 06 Group No. 4 01 June 2010

Clean up the bomb and prepare it for the next run.

The 2000 ml of distilled H2O is to be reused for all
succeeding runs. Since some loss of H2O occurs
during a run, it is necessary to re-measure .Record
the room temperature as this will be necessary to
calculate the stem correction.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Samples
Benzoic
Acid

Naphthalene

Sucrose

Sample mass,g

1.047 g

0.518 g

1.059 g

Mass of fuse wire

before combustion,
g

0.016 g

0.015 g

0.017 g

Mass of fuse wire

after combustion, g

0.002 g

0.003 g

0.003 g

Mass of wire that

combusted

0.014 g

0.012 g

0.014 g

Change in
Temperature

2.071716
C

2.06438 C

1.75468
C

Measured H of
combustion, cal/g

6143.07
cal/ g

9070.67 cal/ g

3763.51
cal/ g

Corrected H of
combustion, cal/g

7543.084
cal/g

10470.602
cal/ g

5163.52
cal/ g

Literature value of
H of combustion,
cal/g

6318
cal/ g

9617 cal/ g

3944 cal/
g

Percentage Error

19.3%

8.8%

28%

Through the experiment it shows that with the combustion

of benzoic acid with mass of 1.047 g, it shows that the
measured H of combustion is 6143.0 cal/g. with this value
the percentage of error was 19.3 percent. The next sample

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was the naphthalene and through the combustion of

0.518grams of this sample the H for was 9070.6 which is
relatively has a small difference as to compare it to its
corrected value and for it the percentage error was only 8.8
percent. The last sample was the sucrose. The sample
gathered weighed 1.059 g and through combustion, the
delta H measured was 3763.51 cal /g and for it the
corrected value is 5163.52 in which the percent error
became a little bit high. The reason behind is perhaps
because of the wire place inside the bomb. For instance the
wire placed for the sucrose and benzoic acid left a 0.014g
because in getting the corrected values we also need to
take into consideration the mass of the wire. The main
purpose of the wire is to know whether the placed sample is
combustible or not. In getting the amount of mass
combusted, one must weigh first the mass of the wire
before the combustion then minus it to the mass of the wire
after combustion. All of the data such as the delta H of
combustion were gathered from bomb calorimeter machine.
Comparing the three compounds, as observed, the mass
wire combusted for the benzoic acid and sucrose was a
little bit bigger than the mass of the naphthalene it only
means that naphthalene is more combustible, this is
because naphthalene is less stable than the other two. It
has been stated that a compound that is less stable will
become more energy released. Naphthalene is a less
stable compound it is because the structure was composed
of two aromatic benzene ring which has been fused
together. While sucrose is a cycloalkane which can be
easily be broke the OH bonds.

Sucrose

REFERENCES
1. General Chemistry The Essential Concepts by
Raymond Chang
2. Experiment

in

Physical

Chemistry

by

Shoemaker, D.P.
3. Oelke, W.C. and Zuehlke, R.W. (1969) Laboratory
Physical Chemistry, Van Nostrand Reinhold
Company, New York, NY.
4. Physical Chemistry Laboratory Manual, Part 1
(2006) by Alvin R. Caparanga, John Ysrael G.
Baluyut and Allan N. Soriano
5. Physical Chemistry by Silbey and Alberty
6. Physical Chemistry by David W. Ball

Benzoic Acid

Naphthalene

APPENDICES
SAMPLE COMPUTATIONS
Corrected H of combustion
= measured H of combustion + 1400 x mass of wire that
combusted

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For benzoic acid:

= 6143.07 cal / g + 1400 + 0.014 g
= 7543.084 cal /g
% error = AV-EV

x 100

AV
= 19.3%

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