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EXPERIMENT NUMBER: …………………….. DATE: ……………

DETERMINATION OF THE ENTHALPY CHANGE FOR THE REACTION

BETWEEN MAGNESIUM AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID

INTRODUCTION:

You are to investigate the temperature change when a piece of magnesium ribbon is added to
hydrochloric acid. You will measure the temperature at regular intervals during the reaction.

The acid provided is approximately 2 moldm–3 hydrochloric acid, HCl.

You are also provided with magnesium ribbon.

Read through the instructions carefully before starting any practical work.

BACKGROUND:

Enthalpy change is the heat that passes into or out of a system during a reaction. (total enthalpy
of products - total enthalpy of reactants.

Enthalpy of reaction is the change in the enthalpy of a chemical reaction at a constant pressure. is
a thermodynamic unit of measurement useful for calculating the amount of energy per mole
either released or produced in a reaction.

MATERIALS:

Strip of Magnesium, 2 moldm-3 hydrochloric acid, thermometer, electric balance, polystyrene

cup (calorimeter), beaker, measuring cylinder, stopwatch.
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RISK ASSESSMENT :

Based on the procedure, identify any hazards associated with the experiment.

State how these hazards can be reduced.

Chemical/Apparatus Hazard Risk Precaution

Hydrochloric Acid Irritant May irritate the eyes Ensure to wear personal
and skin protective equipment to
avoid cross
contamination.

PROCEDURE

1. Weigh accurately the mass of magnesium ribbon given.

2. Curl or fold the magnesium ribbon so that it will just fit in the bottom of the plastic cup.
Remove the magnesium from the cup. Support the plastic cup in a 250cm3 beaker.
3. Use a measuring cylinder to transfer 50cm3 of the acid into the empty plastic cup.
4. Measure and record in the table below, the initial temperature of the acid in the cup.
5. Start the stopwatch. Measure and record the temperature of the acid in the cup after 1
minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes.
6. At time 3½ minutes, add the curled or folded magnesium to the acid in the cup and stir
the mixture. Make sure the magnesium is submerged in the acid.
7. From time 4 minutes, continue to measure the temperature of the contents of the cup to
complete the table.
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Results

Table 1:

Time/min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Temperature 28.8 28.9 29.0 29.0 39.3 42.1 42.0 41.3 41.3 41.2 41.0
/°C

(b) (i) Plot the temperature (y-axis) against time (x-axis). The temperature axis should allow you
to include a point at least 5°C greater than the maximum temperature recorded.

(ii) Complete the graph to show how the temperature of the contents of the cup varies

with time.

● Draw one straight line through the points between time 0 minutes and 3 minutes.

● Draw one straight line through the points between time 5 minutes and 10 minutes.

● Extrapolate these two lines and draw a vertical line at time 3½ minutes.

(c) Calculation

(i) Use your graph to determine the change in temperature at 3½ minutes.

change in temperature = 9.0 °C

(ii) In the experiment you have just carried out, explain how you know that the

hydrochloric acid was in excess.

Some excess HCl remained after the reaction was complete.

(iii) One source of error in this experiment is due to the accuracy to which the thermometer can
be read.

Parallax error

What is the maximum error in a single temperature reading on a thermometer with

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graduations at 1 °C?

maximum error = +1 °C

Calculate the maximum percentage error when measuring a temperature rise of 7.5 °C.

maximum percentage error = 1/7. 5 × 100% = 13. 3%

iv) Calculate the heat change for the reaction taking the density of the solution to be 1gcm-3 and
specific heat capacity to be 4.18Jg-1 K-1

1 cm3 of solution requires 4.18Jg-1K-1

50 cm3 of the solution changing by 1 degree Celsius requires x

Temperature change = 28.9-39.3 =9.4 degree Celsius

mc∆T = 50 × 4. 18 ×− 9. 4 = − 1943. 7𝐽

v) Calculate the ∆H for the reaction when I mole of Magnesium reacts.

2HCl + 2Mg → 2MgCl + H2

1000 cm3 of HCl contains 2 mol

50 cm3 of HCl contains x mol = 0.1 mol of HCl

Mole ratio from equation

HCl : Mg

2 : 2

0.1 mol gives -1943.7

−1943×1
1 mol of Mg gives 0.1
, 𝑥= − 19, 437𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙

𝑥 = 19. 43𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙

Therefore the enthalpy change would be 19. 43𝑘𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙

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DISCUSSION:

Energetics is the study of energy and the way it is distributed in physical, chemical or biological
processes. Chemical reactions are usually accompanied by energy changes, principally in the
form of heat energy. The energy within a system is referred to as enthalpy and is denoted by the
letter H. It is measured with the unit kilo joules (kJ).

There are two classifications of chemical reactions in relation to energy, Exothermic reactions
and Endothermic reactions. Exothermic fractions are chemical changes that result in an increase
in the temperature of their surroundings. The energy released is typically due to the formation of
new bonds (energy absorbed to break bonds < energy released when forming bonds). These
reactions include neutralization reactions and cellular respiration. Endothermic reactions are
chemical reactions that cause a decrease in the temperature of their surroundings. In these
reactions, the reactants gain energy to form the products, energy is absorbed in order to break old
bonds in the reactants (energy absorbed to break bonds > energy released when forming bonds).
Endothermic reactions are often rarer than exothermic reactions due to their nature, these
reactions include dissolving salts in water and thermal decomposition reactions.

Hess’s law states that regardless of the multiple stages or steps of a reaction, the total enthalpy is
the sum of all changes. Hess’s law can be used to determine the overall energy needed for a
chemical reaction, when it can be divided into synthetic steps that are easier to characterize.
Therefore, even if a chemical change takes place by different routes or stages, the overall
enthalpy change is the same provided that initial and final conditions are the same.

Due to the difference in daily weather patterns such as pressure, temperature and humidity the
results one obtains may deviate and have values different from previous experiments. Standard
conditions are the ideal conditions at which lab experiments are to be carried out. The universal
standard temperature is 25 degrees Celsius (298K) and the standard pressure is 1 atm/bar
(101.3kPa).
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Limitations: Due to the environmental temperature, a possible error in the true temperature of
the reaction may have occurred.

Sources of error: The Magnesium strip was added before the time slated and as such inaccurate
results may have been collected.

CONCLUSION:

in conclusion, by using thermal calculations and principles such as Hess’s law and enthalpy
change one can determine the Enthalpy of the metal + acid reaction between Magnesium and
Hydrochloric acid.