Signature Assignment

During the winter months we need something that can help keep our hands and feet warm.

Instant heat packs are a great way to do this and have some interesting chemistry behind them. The

traditional throw away/commercial instant heat packs are made of heat up when exposed to air. This

hot pack functions as iron (Fe) reacts with oxygen to form iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3), an exothermic

reaction. Another type of hot pack that is generally used for sport injuries and kept in first aid boxes, due

to the long shelf life. This type relies on the super cooling of Sodium Acetate and is comprised of a

supersaturated solution of Sodium Acetate (C2H3NaO2). The supersaturated solution is

metastable/unstable since too much Sodium Acetate is dissolved in the solution for its temperature.

Upon being triggered by a seed crystal /metal disc, a nucleation site is provided for Sodium Acetate

crystals to begin to form. Without a seed crystal, the sodium acetate will remain in solution as it cools.

As the crystallization process proceeds, Sodium Acetate Trihydrate (C2H5NaO5) is formed and gives off

heat, exothermic. These hot packs are useful because they are reusable. Heating the packs in hot or

boiling water you can re-dissolve the Sodium Acetate. If you allow the pack to cool back down to room

temperature the solution becomes supersaturated again. These packs can be reused until there are no

seed crystals left.

Reference https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/instant-heat-packs.21896

http://www.amazingrust.com/Experiments/how_to/Hot-Ice.htm

http://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/hot-and-cold-packs-a-thermochemistry-
activity/tr29415.tr
 Reflection

When this semester started I was thoroughly excited to take Chemistry, due to the real world

applications that it has, and since I had never previously taken Chemistry. Once we had a few classes I

felt estranged about the subject and at a loss with what I thought I knew. When we started to get into

modern Atomic Theory and Thermodynamics it started to settle in and make sense. Taking Intro to

Chemistry has been a fun and interesting experience. I have been able to relate thermodynamics and

the emission of photons to simple harmonic motion that I learned in Trigonometry. It is interesting to

see and begin to understand how and why everything works and relating all the hard sciences into one

cohesive idea.