A student carried out an experiment to find the temperature rise for a reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution - AQA - A-Level Chemistry - Question 4 - 2018 - Paper 3
Question 4
A student carried out an experiment to find the temperature rise for a reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution.
- The student used a measur... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student carried out an experiment to find the temperature rise for a reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution - AQA - A-Level Chemistry - Question 4 - 2018 - Paper 3
Step 1
0 4.1.1 Plot a graph of temperature against time on the grid opposite.
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Answer
To plot the graph, first, label the x-axis as 'Time (min)' and the y-axis as 'Temperature (°C)'. Then, plot each data point from the table, corresponding to the time and temperature.
Mark the points clearly and use a ruler to draw a smooth curve through the points for better approximation.
The temperature at the fourth minute can be estimated from the graph as
extΔT=21.6°C−19.8°C=1.8°C
Step 2
0 4.1.2 Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the value for the temperature rise.
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Answer
The percentage uncertainty can be calculated using the formula:
0 4.1.3 Suggest a change to the experiment that would minimise heat loss.
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To minimise heat loss, the experiment can be conducted using a polystyrene cup which acts as an insulator, reducing heat transfer to the surrounding environment.
Step 4
0 4.1.4 Suggest and explain another change to the experiment that would decrease the percentage uncertainty in the use of the same thermometer.
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To decrease the percentage uncertainty, the experiment could use a thermometer with a smaller scale division or higher resolution. This would allow for more precise temperature readings, therefore reducing the uncertainty associated with each measurement.
Step 5
0 4.1.5 Give an equation for the reaction between ethanoic acid solution and potassium hydroxide solution.
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The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:
ightarrow ext{KCOO-} + ext{H}_2 ext{O} $$
Step 6
0 4.1.6 Suggest an explanation for the difference between this value and your answer to Question 0 4.5.
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Answer
The difference in enthalpy of neutralisation values can be attributed to the strength of the acids involved. Sulfuric acid is a stronger acid compared to ethanoic acid, which is a weak acid that partially dissociates in solution. The complete dissociation of sulfuric acid leads to a larger exothermic reaction compared to the reaction of the weaker ethanoic acid.