Heat Capacity of Sodium Hydroxide

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Abstract: The original purpose of this experiment was to combine Calcium Oxide and Water to attempt to replicate the self-heating can and record the temperatures achieved, however on commencement of the experiment it was discovered that there was an error with either the chemicals or the set-up procedure as no heat was generated. Instead, the experiment was slightly altered with new chemicals. The purpose of the new experiment was to experimentally determine the Specific Heat Capacity of Sodium hydroxide and also to determine which ratio of Sodium Hydroxide to Water will produce the most heat. It was hypothesised that the ideal concentration would be 7.5g of NaOH to 112.5g of H2O and that this reaction would reach between 50-60oC. The experiment was carried out by placing 112.5g of water into a large beaker and then adding the different amounts of NaOH and recording the heat given off. The second experiment was completed by using the above set-up with the best amount of NaOH and then placing a smaller beaker with 25ml of water inside the larger beaker and recording the heat transferred. The results showed that out of four different amounts of NaOH, the highest amount (7.5g) produced the most heat, the original predictions were correct; the highest temperature achieved by 7.5g of NaOH was 52.04oC. Introduction: Self Heating can A self-heating can is an enhancement of the common food can. Self-heating cans have dual chambers, one surrounding the other. In one version, the inner chamber holds the food or drink, and the outer chamber houses chemicals that undergo an exothermic reaction when combined. When the user wants to heat the contents of the can, they pull a ring on the can that breaks the barrier separating the chemicals in the outer chamber. In another type, the chemicals are in the inner chamber and the beverage surrounds it in the outer chamber. When the

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