Heat of Combustion

Fuentes, Gabriel M.
Itoralba, Jyron Ian Dave C.
Navarro, Nestor Jr.
Nakamura, Hiro
Panaligan, James G.
Soque, Benedict V.

Abstract
This experiment was made to measure the heat of combustion and the heat that ethanol and
isopropyl alcohol can exert in a specific time.

On the first part of the experiment, we first measured the weight of the alcohol lamp which contains
ethanol and recorded its data. After that we need to measure the heat that can be exerted by the ethanol
in a certain amount of time. We filled the Erlenmeyer flask with water and recorded its initial temperature
after that we began to heat the water using the ethanol alcohol lamp. After a certain amount of time heating
the water with the ethanol alcohol lamp we measured the final temperature of the water and we also
measured the ethanol alcohol lamp’s weight and found the changes. On the second part we used isopropyl
alcohol. We first measured its weight and saved its data. After recording its weight needed to measure the
heat that it can exert by heating the water for a certain amount of time. We first measure the water’s initial
temperature and recorded its data before heating it. After heating the water, we measured the water’s
temperature and we noticed immediately the difference between ethanol and isopropyl. We then measured
again the weight of the isopropyl alcohol lamp and saved its data. After finishing the experiment, we found
the percent error which indicates that the experiment is successful and at the same time accurate.

Introduction
We see combustion almost in our everyday lives, like burning some wood planks for your camp night
out, the smoke coming out from the factories or power plants, and any form of heating or burning. In this
experiment, it will focus more on the details about burning in terms of chemistry with equipment provided
by the school laboratory.
The word ‘burning’ is another word for combustion, it is an exothermic process where a rapid chemical
reaction is happening with a substance or a fuel that reacts with atmospheric oxygen which produces heat
or gaseous mixtures, commonly known as smoke and the amount of heat that is being produced in the
reaction is called the heat of combustion.
Instead of using a bomb calorimeter, we can just use an alcohol lamp as the source of heat, alongside
with the iron stand, clamps, Erlenmeyer flask, cork, thermometer, lighter, electronic balance, and graduated
cylinder. Using this equipment will not be as useful with the bomb calorimeter but it is still effective in
determining the amount of heat with various fuels.
Methodology
In this experiment conducted to know the heat of combustion of a certain alcohol, and how much heat
was exerted. In this setup, by pouring a 75mL of distilled water on an Erlenmeyer Flask that was suspended
in mid-air by a clamp for it to be heated for 5minutes. First, we used an alcohol lamp with ethanol that
weighed 162.8 g and was lighted on and heated the water in the Erlenmeyer Flask. After 5 minutes of
heating recorded at 105.1°C peak temperature, then it was extinguished by covering the wick and was
cooled down for a while, then now it weighed at 160.2 g. Next, was the isopropyl alcohol lamp weighed first
at 185.6 g, then again same step as the first one, heating up the water inside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes,
extinguishing using covering the wick of the flame, then recorded the peak temperature heated by the
isopropyl alcohol at 120.5°C which it was heated more than the ethanol, then weighed at 183.6 g. Then it
was calculated the heat gained by water and the heat combustion of the two alcohol lamps which it the
isopropyl alcohol lamp exerts 1202 kJ/mol while the ethanol lamp exerts 1147 kJ/mol, then the experimental
results will be compared to the theoretical values, thus finding the margin of error.

Data Results and Analysis

Parameters Ethanol Isopropyl Alcohol

Mass of water 75g 75g
Initial Temperature of water 26.3 C 26.5 C
Final Temperature of water 105.1 C 120.5 C
Heat gained by water, q water 24.7038 KJ 29.497.2KJ
Initial mass of alcohol lamp 162.8g 185.6g
Final mass of alcohol lamp 160.2g 183.6g
Mole of fuel consumed 0.05652 0.0332
Calculated heat combustion 437.08KJ/Moles 885KJ/Moles
Theoretical heat of combustion 1370 2003.8
Percent error in the heat combustion 68.09% 55.83%

Solution:
Ethanol
q water = (75g) (4.184 J/g C) (105.1 C – 26.3 C)
q water = 24.7038 KJ
mole of ethanol = (162.8g - 160.2g) / 46 moles/ gram
= 0.05652 moles
Heat combustion (Ethanol) = 24.7038KJ/0.05652 moles
=437.08KJ/Moles
Isopropyl Alcohol
q water = (75g) (4.184 J/g C) (120.5 C – 26.5 C)
q water = 29.497 KJ
Mole of isopropyl= (185.6g - 183.6g) /60
=0.03333 moles
Heat combustion (isopropyl) = 29.497KJ / 0.03333 moles
 =885 KJ/ Moles

REFERENCES
(1) Thakur, Oshin. “Oshin Thakur Blog” October 24,2018, http://oshinthakur.com/uses-of-calorimetry-in-
real life/?fbclid=IwAR2Xe8QU6Cm37sJetBfJLHixIF6gO2pF7H1LfqW9djzlhHzMpLIJ4J_cj7Y

(2) “Calorimetry.” Chemistry LibreTexts, UC DAVIS University of California, June

23,2019,https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/S
upplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Thermodynamics/Calorimetry?fbclid=IwAR
0vxNB4oLb_iWG0M0-CLO4Lgt42IgCod0-xhaYdUTPAJYfi4e96r7j49Xc
Follow-up questions and applications

1. What is the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol?

Ethyl = C2H5OH+3O2  2CO2+H2O

Isopropyl = C3H8O + O2 -->

2. Which fuel has a higher heat of combustion and what is the reason as such?
The fuel that has a higher heat of combustion is ethanol because ethanol has a higher
consumed mole compared to isopropyl.

3. What are the sources of error in the experiment?

The sources of error in the experiment is the correct placement of heat and amount of
both ethyl and isopropyl.

4. Draw the schematic diagram for a bomb calorimeter and briefly discuss how it works.
5. How does burning of various fuels contribute to global warming ad air pollution? What can be
used as “more sustainable” sources of energy for our society?

Because of the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The more sustainable sources
of energy that can be used in our society are basically hydroelectricity, biomass, geothermal,
wind, wave, tidal and solar energies.