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chemistry help

in calorimetry, is the heat exchanged with the surroundings the same as the enthalpy change of the reaction???
Original post by zaaraxo
in calorimetry, is the heat exchanged with the surroundings the same as the enthalpy change of the reaction???


That's right. If you think about the equation we use in measuring enthalpy change:

q (energy) = MCdT (mass * specific heat capacity * change in temperature)

In using the equation, you're measuring the energy increase (or decrease) or a reaction mixture, e.g copper sulfate (aq) and magnesium, making the assumption that:

The energy given out (or taken in) by a reaction is the same as the energy gained (or lost ) by the reaction mixture.

In truth, the errors in measuring the increase in energy of the reaction mixture mean that in an environment, such as a lab with imprecise equipment, mean that the value you measure is unlikely to be the true value of the enthalpy change of the reaction.

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