Question

Coffee Cup Calorimeter
Coffee Cup Calorimeter
Some chemical reactions release thermal energy and some reactions gain thermal energy. Sam and Alex want to make a calorimeter, which is a device that can measure thermal energy (heat) changes during chemical reactions involving a sample. Sam and Alex design their device to measure these changes. A drawing of their calorimeter is shown below.

The illustration titled 'Coffee Cup Calorimeter' shows nested Styrofoam cups as insulation and a cork stopper that seals the top cup. Inside the cup is a sample cube and water that surrounds the sample. A stirrer and thermometer are inserted through the cork stopper into the cup. The bottoms of the stirrer and thermometer are in the water.

As a reaction occurs involving the sample, changes occur in the system based on whether the reaction gains or releases thermal energy.

Multiple Select Question
The students are given an unknown sample to place in the calorimeter, as shown in the passage. They measure the initial and final temperatures of the water in the calorimeter. The temperatures are shown below.

Initial temperature is 24 degrees celsius. Final temperature is 26 degrees celsius.

Select THREE statements below that describe energy or matter for this reaction in the coffee cup calorimeter system.

A.
Before the reaction begins, the water and the sample are present in the same state of matter.

B.
The temperature measurement describes the average potential energy of the particles of matter in the cup system.

C.
The reaction caused energy to be released into the surrounding water.
D.
The reaction absorbed energy from the surrounding water.

E.
Before the reaction begins, the water and the sample are present in different states of matter.

F.
The temperature measurement describes the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter in the cup system.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To answer the question, we will analyze the situation with the given information about the coffee cup calorimeter, focusing on the temperature changes during the reaction.

1. The initial temperature of the water is 24 degrees Celsius, and the final temperature is 26 degrees Celsius. This indicates that the temperature of the water increased, suggesting that the reaction caused energy to be transferred to the water.

2. Because the temperature of the water increased, it means that energy was absorbed by the water, indicating that the reaction likely either produced heat (exothermic) or absorbed heat (endothermic) from the sample inside the calorimeter.

With this in mind, we can evaluate each option:

A. **Before the reaction begins, the water and the sample are present in the same state of matter.**
- This statement is likely false because the sample is probably a solid (e.g., a cube), while the water is a liquid.

B. **The temperature measurement describes the average potential energy of the particles of matter in the cup system.**
- This statement is false. Temperature is related to kinetic energy, not potential energy.

C. **The reaction caused energy to be released into the surrounding water.**
- This statement is false because the data indicates that the water's temperature increased, not decreased, suggesting energy was absorbed by the water.

D. **The reaction absorbed energy from the surrounding water.**
- This statement is also false as the water heated up, which implies it gained energy, indicating that the reaction was likely not absorbing energy; hence, this statement can be misleading without additional context.

E. **Before the reaction begins, the water and the sample are present in different states of matter.**
- This statement is true because the water is in a liquid state, and the sample (assumed to be a solid) is in a different state of matter.

F. **The temperature measurement describes the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter in the cup system.**
- This statement is true because temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

Thus, the three correct statements that describe energy or matter for this reaction in the coffee cup calorimeter system are:

1. **E**. Before the reaction begins, the water and the sample are present in different states of matter.
2. **F**. The temperature measurement describes the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter in the cup system.

While "C" specifically isn't supported by the data provided (which indicates the energy flow is likely from the reaction to the water), it could be ambiguously viewed in the context of energy flow dynamics; readers should be mindful that "D” is also a consideration, but it doesn't align directly with the temperature change observed.

In conclusion, the final selections would seem to center on **E** and **F**, with care taken on the interpretation of energy exchanges depicted in **C** and **D**.

Related Questions