POST LAB DISCUSSION

• Experiment No.2
SOFTDRINK CAN
EXPLOSION
 Trials Distance traveled by can in Distance traveled by can
cm in cm

Replicate 1 Replicate 2
3 drops 6 drops

1    

2    

3    

Average Distance
traveled by can in cm
▣ Identify the property of alcohol that is
demonstrated in this experiment? Define.

▣ Volatility- property of substances to vaporize

easily at room temperature
▣ Combustibility-property of substance to burn
as a result of fire or chemical reaction.
▣ What is the potential hazard involved in using
small volume of alcohol in lamp?
▣ Using small volume of alcohol in alcohol lamp
is dangerous.
▣ The combustion of alcohol is exothermic.
▣ The rate of reaction is dependent on the
proportion of alcohol with air.
▣ When the volume of air is larger than the
volume of alcohol, a rapid reaction occurs
producing explosion.
▣ What is denatured alcohol?
▣ Denatured alcohol is an alcohol( primarily
ethanol) mixed with other substances to make
it unfit for human consumption.
▣ Give its composition and use.
▣ Ordinarily, it is composed of ethanol, methanol
or gasoline which are used as fuel.
▣ Name the alcohol components and write the
molecular, expanded and line structural
formulas of the alcohols involve
Ethanol (C2H6O) CH3CH2OH
Methanol(CH4O) CH3OH
Gasoline (C8H18) CH3(CH2)6CH3
• FUEL VALUES
• Heat of Combustion (calorific value,
energy value)
• -the amount of heat liberated when a
given amount of the substance undergoes
combustion.
Fuel Burning Time Characteristics Highest
of Flame Temperature of
Produced Water Measured

Acetone

Oil

Ethyl Alcohol

Kerosene

Gasoline

Diesel
Acetone

The simplest ketone.

-produces dull blue flame in small
amounts and bright yellow flame in
larger amounts
-low burning time
-heat of combustion=30.82 kJ/g
Oil (Vegetable Oil)
• Compounds made of
glycerol and fatty acids
obtained from many
different plants.
• produces luminous
( yellow orange flame)
• high burning time
• Heat of combustion =
37-47 KJ /g
Ethyl Alcohol

The simplest alcohol.

-low burning time
-produces blue flame
Heat of combustion
=26.78 kJ/g
Kerosene
Aliphatic hydrocarbons which are mainly
used for cooking and heating.
-low burning time
-produces yellow flame with soot
Heat of combustion = 44-46 kJ/g
C12H26−C15H32
Gasoline
A complex mixture of over 500
hydrocarbons that may have between 5 to
12 carbons.
-low burning time
- produces blue and yellow flame ( with
black smoke)
Heat of combustion = 47.8 kJ/g
Diesel

- fuel used for diesel engine (an internal

combustion engine in which ignition of the
fuel is caused by the elevated temperature
of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical --
average burning time
-produces dark yellow flame with black
smoke/soot
Heat of combustion = 42-46 kJ/g
• C10H20 - C15H28
• Least Fuel/Calorific value
• Among organic fuels, oxygen-containing
organic compounds such as
alcohols/ethers/aldehydes/ketones have
the lowest calorific values.
 What makes a fire burn?

▣ What makes a fire burn?

▣ Fire is a chemical reaction in which energy in
the form of heat is produced.  
▣ When forest fuels burn, there is a chemical
combination of the oxygen in the air with
woody material, pitch and other burnable
elements found in the forest environment. 
▣ 
▣ This process is known Combustion.
▣   Combustion is a chain reaction
chemically similar to photosynthesis in
reverse. 
▣ Combustion process releases this heat. 
▣  The tremendous amount of heat that is
produced in the burning process is the major
reason that the suppression of wildfires is such
a difficult task and why the use of prescribed
fire extinguishers is a complex process
requiring knowledgeable and experienced
people. 
▣The combustion process is
sometimes called rapid oxidation.
▣ It is similar to the formation of rust
on iron or the decay of dead wood in
the forest, except that the process is
drastically speeded up.
▣ Fire begins with ignition.  The match is a
common ignition device.  
▣ Friction creates sufficient heat to ignite
the phosphorus on the end of the
match.  Combustion occurs and the
match flames. 
▣ Heat is necessary to begin the combustion
process. 
▣  Once started, fire produces its own heat. 
▣ Wild land fires originate from such sources of
heat as matches, embers from cigarettes, cigars
or pipes, campfires, trash fires, exhaust sparks
from railroad locomotives, sparks from brake
shoes or hot-box on railroad cars, lightning,
spontaneous combustion, hot ashes and arson.
What basic elements are needed for fire to occur?

THE FIRE TRIANGLE

OXYGEN HEAT
FIRE
combustion

FUEL
There must be Fuel to burn.
There must be Air to supply oxygen.
There must be Heat (ignition
temperature) to start and continue the
combustion process.
▣ Remove any one of the three sides or elements
and the fire will cease to burn.  
▣ Weaken any one, and the fire will weaken.  
▣ Increase any one or more of the elements, and
the fire will increase in intensity.
▣ Heat is Energy
▣ Sources of heat are:
▣ Sun
▣ Atomic
▣ Volcanoes
▣ Fires
▣ The Sun is the major source of heat.
Heat from the sun drives our weather.
▣ With a continuous supply of heat (furnished by
the combustion process itself), the ignition of
additional fuel will continue as long as there is
enough oxygen present.  
THE PHASES OF COMBUSTION

1) preignition
2) ignition
3) Flaming (combustion)
4) extinction
Preignition (“pre-heating”-
 -temperature of the fuel is raised
to the point where gases start to
volatilize
-fuel is about to burst into flame
 …
2. IGNITION
Transition between preignition and
combustion
-volatile materials in the fuel are
vaporized
-smoke generation begins
 2 types of “natural” ignition:

1. Lightning
2. Spontaneous ignition

Lightning
- High temperature within column of hot gases
 Spontaneous ignition

Pile heating (heat liberated faster than lost to surroundings)

Microbial activity = respiration 🡪 CO2 + H2O + HEAT

Requirements for ignition: Oxygen + formation of char
Flaming--the ignition temperature of the fuel is
reached and combustion begins (active
combustion)

COMBUSTION – 2 types:

- Smoldering / glowing
- Flaming
Smoldering or glowing combustion

•Surface fires
- Lower temps, but longer duration
• Ground fires in organic soil horizons

• High smoke production (particulates, CO)

 Flaming combustion

• Volatile gases mix with air = flames

• High temperatures necessary (425-
480 C)
4. Extinction: termination of combustion

Two important factors can cause smoldering to cease:

- Inorganic materials (ash) – absorb heat but do not

oxidize – reduces the total amount of heat

- Not enough heat produced to cause vaporization in

in moist fuels (no more “available fuel”)
Heat of Combustion (ΔHc)

• - the total energy released as heat when a

substance undergoes complete
combustion with oxygen under a set of
standard conditions.
• - a useful value because it is a constant
value for the type of material being burned
and can be used to compare the efficiency
and utility of different fuel sources used
most often in society
 Heat of Combustion (Enthalpy of
Combustion)
▣ Molar Heat of Combustion-the heat liberated
when 1 mole of the substance undergoes
complete combustion with oxygen at constant
pressure.
▣ Alcohol burns in air to produce carbon dioxide
and water vapor with the released of heat
energy.
How much heat is produced by the
combustion of 125 g of methanol?
Hc= -761.1 kJ/mol
•
 Heat of Combustion (Enthalpy of
Combustion)
▣ -amount of heat released when organic
materials react with oxygen

▣ Alcohol burns in air to produce carbon dioxide

and water vapor with the released of heat
energy.
▣ Molar Heat of Combustion-the heat liberated
when 1 mole of the substance undergoes
complete combustion with oxygen at constant
pressure.
C2H5OH(l)+3O2(g)⟶2CO2(g)+3H2O(l) ∆H= −1366.8 kJ

CH3OH(l)+32O2(g)⟶CO2(g)+2H2O(l) ∆H = −726.1

C8H18(l)+252O2(g)⟶8CO2(g)+9H2O(l) ∆H= −5461

Heats of combustion are usually determined by burning a
known amount of the material in a bomb calorimeter
with an excess of oxygen. By measuring the temperature
change, the heat of combustion can be determined.

A 1.55 gram sample of ethanol is burned and produced a

temperature increase of 55oC in 200 grams of water.
Calculate the molar heat of combustion.
Molar mass of ethanol =46.1g/mol
Mass of water =200g
cp water =4.18J/goC
Temperature increase =55oC
Unknown

He of ethanol
Step 2: Solve.

Amount of ethanol used:

1.55g46.1g/mol=0.0336mol(17.14.3)
Energy generated:
4.184J/goC×200g×55oC=46024J=46.024kJ(17.14.4)
Molar heat of combustion:
46.024kJ0.0336mol=1369kJ/mol(17.14.5)
Step 3: Think about your result:

The burning of ethanol produces a significant amount of heat.