Question

2. Predict the approximate amount of heat liberated by burning a gram of candle wax and a gram of propyl alcohol (Note: candle wax is a mixture of saturated carbon compounds with 20 or more carbons in each molecule and no oxygen. Propyl alcohol has the formula C3H7OH.) If time permits. perform an experiment to check your prediction.

Answer 1

You can estimate the heat of combustion for these two by using the delta Hfomation tables but it may be difficult to find data for candle wax. For propyl alcohol,
C3H7OH + 9/2 O2 ==> 3CO2 + 4H2O
delta Hrxn = (3*delta Hf CO2 + 4*dela Hf H2O) - (dela Hf C3H7OH).

Answer 2

WTH did DrBob22 just say?