Nicholas Nguyen

Period 2
11/21/13

AP Molar Mass of Calcium Lab

Purpose:
To calculate the theoretical heat of formation for the reaction of solid
calcium metal reacting with nitric acid. From this information we can calculate the
percent error of the heat liberated in the reaction between 0.750 grams of
calcium and 100 mL of 0.50 M nitric acid, as well as an energy profile of the
reaction. In addition, a titration of the unreacted acid with 0.15M NaOH will yield
moles of calcium reacted. Therefore, molar mass of the lab can be determined as
well.
Material:
Calcium metal, nitric acid, calorimeter, thermometer, buret, .15 M
standardized NaOH, phenolphthalein, stirring bar and stirring plate
Results:
Trial 1

Seconds

Temperature(Celsius)

20

30

23

60

27

90

33

120

38

150

41

180

42

210

42.5

240

42.5

t = 22.5 Celsius
TITRATION: 84.6 mL

Trial 2
Seconds

Temperature(Celsius)

20

30

23

60

28

90

36

120

39

150

41

180

42.5

210

43

240

43

t = 23 Celsius
TITRATION: 96.0 mL
Trial 3
Seconds

Temperature(Celsius)

21

30

28

60

34

90

42

120

42

150

40

180

41.5

210

42

240

42

t = 21 Celsius
TITRATION: 87.3 mL

Average
t = 22.17 Celsius

Average T
ITRATION = 89.3 mL
Part 1 Calculations:
Experimental Molar Heat of Reaction:
q=ms
t
q=100.0g of HNO3 (-4.184J/g Celsius)(22.17 Celsius)
q=-9,277J/mol
Heat of Reaction = -9,277 J/mol
Molar Heat of Reaction = Heat of Reaction / Moles of Calcium Metal Used
Molar Heat of Reaction = -9,277/0.0187mol Ca used
Molar Heat of Reaction = -4.957 x 10^5 J/mol x 1 kJ/1000J =
-495.7 kJ/mol
Theoretical Value:
Ca + 2HNO3 ---> Ca(NO3)2 + H2
Hrxn = H(Ca(NO3)2 + H2) - H(Ca + 2HNO3)
Hrxn = (-542.96 + 2(-206.57)) + 0) - (0 - 2(174.1))
Hrxn =
-609.7 kJ/mol
Percent Error:
609.7kJ/mol - 495.7kJ/mol = 114.0kJ/mol
114.0kJ/mol / 609.7kJ/mol = 0.1869 =
18.69% Error
Part 2 Calculations:
From Data:
0.750 grams of Calcium metal reacts with 100.0 mL of 0.50M of HNO3
Vt=89.3 mL of 0.150M of NaOH
1. 0.0893L x .150M of NaOH/1L = 1.34 x 10^-2 mol NaOH
2. Ca + 2HNO3 = Ca(NO3)2 + H2
1.34 x 10^-2 mol of NaOH x 1 mol HNO3/1 mol NaOH = 1.34 x 10^-2 mol HNO3
3. 0.100L x 0.50M of HNO3/1L = 0.050mol HNO3
4. 0.050 mol HNO3 / 1.34 x 10^-2 mol HNO3 = 0.0366 mol HNO3 used
5. 0.0366 mol HNO3 used x 1 mol of Ca/2 mol of HNO3 = 0.0183 mol Ca
6. 0.750 grams of Ca / 0.0183 mol of Ca = 40.98 molar mass of Ca
7.(Periodic Table Value of Ca)
/
(Experimental Value of Ca)
40.08/40.98 = 0.978 =
97.8 % Efficiency

Conclusion:
The purpose of this lab was to calculate the formation of theoretical heat
between calcium metal and nitric acid. For the first part the lab, the average initial
temperature was 22.17 degrees Celsius of the nitric acid and by placing .750g of Ca, the
average temperature after the reaction with nitric acid and calcium was 42.5 degrees
Celsius at 240 secs. After that, we found the experimental molar heat by q = ms
t
and
the reaction emitted
-495.7 kJ/mol of
energy
and we calculated the theoretical value of

the reaction as 609.7 kJ/mol. As the result, our percent error was 18.69% after
subtracting the theoretical value from our experimental and then dividing it by the
theoretical value. For part 2, we used the solution from the calcium and nitric acid and
titrated it with NaOH and our average titration was 89.3 mL of NaOh. With the 89.3ml
of NaOH, we converted into 1.34 x 10^-2 mol NaOH and converted again to find 1.34 x
10^-2 mol HNO3. Then we converted the moles of the nitric acid into 0.0183 moles of Ca
and then converted the moles of Ca into molar mass. We found that our experimental
value of Ca was 40.98g of Ca. With our experimental grams of Ca, we divided the
periodic table value of Ca with our experimental value and our result was 97.8%
efficiency. To conclude, this lab was pretty easy in actually doing the experiment. The
only it was difficult to get a precise number for the mass of Ca. The calculations were
more difficult because we had trouble in determining certain calculations.