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Calculating the thermal state of a body in order to investigate its physical and chemical changes is the subject of calorimetry, a branch of science that deals with the measurement of the state of a body in relation to its thermal features. Burning and acid-base neutralisation are examples of physical changes that can occur. Chemical changes, such as melting and evaporation, can also occur.
In order to measure the thermal changes that occur in a body, a calorimeter is utilised. Calorimetry is widely used in the fields of thermochemistry to calculate enthalpy, stability, heat capacity, and other properties of substances such as water.
Calorimeter: A detail view
A calorimeter is a device that is used to measure the heat produced by chemical reactions or physical changes, as well as the heat capacity of a substance. Differential scanning calorimetry, titration calorimetry, isothermal microcalorimetry, and accelerated rate calorimetry are the most common types of calorimeters used in research and industry. A thermometer is the most common component of a standard calorimeter. Using the same thermometer as before, this time it is attached to a metal container filled with water that is suspended over a burning chamber. It is a type of measurement equipment that can be used in the study of thermodynamics, chemistry, and biochemistry among other things.
What is Calorimetry?
Calorimetry is a field of science that studies the changes in the amount of heat energy a body produces over time. All of us are aware that heat can be considered a source of energy. The temperature of a body is a good indicator of the amount of heat it contains. As a result, the higher the temperature, the bigger the amount of heat energy a body has. As a result, in order to determine whether a body has received or lost heat energy, we measure the temperature of the body before and after the transfer. Temperature differences determine the amount of heat energy that the body can generate or lose.
During a chemical reaction, calorimetry is the technique of measuring the quantity of heat emitted or absorbed by the reaction product. It is possible to identify whether a process is exothermic (in which heat is released) or endothermic (in which heat is retained) by measuring the change in temperature (absorbs heat). Additionally, calorimetry plays an important role in everyday life, controlling the metabolic rates of individuals and, as a result, sustaining functions such as body temperature.
Calorimetry is based on the principle of heat transfer.
The concept of calorimetry (also known as the principle of mixes) asserts that, in an insulated system, the heat energy lost by the hot body equals the heat energy acquired by the cold body (or vice versa).
It is important to note that heat transmission occurs until both bodies reach the same temperature (t).
Some Important concepts used in calorimetry:
System
A ‘System’ is the body under investigation, the body on which work is being performed, the body to which heat is being added, the body that is performing work or emitting heat. A System is defined by the fact that it has a fixed amount of mass and a well defined border. For example, the coffee cup represents the ‘System’ under investigation.
Boundary
Boundaries can be actual or fictional surfaces that are either mobile or immovable in nature, and they are used to divide systems from their surroundings. In the preceding example, the surface of the coffee cup serves as a physical border between the two objects.
Surroundings
The “around” refers to the area surrounding the system that is outside of the boundaries. For the purposes of this investigation, we will refer to the entire universe that is separated from the system by the boundary as the ‘Surrounding.’
Temperature Specific Heat
The term “specific heat” refers to a quality of a substance such as density, boiling point, and so on. It is defined as the quantity of heat that must be added in order to increase the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius. We measure it in Joules/gm K, which is Joules per gramme degree Kelvin, and we mark it with the letter C, which stands for Joules per gramme degree Kelvin.
Temperature change (in degrees Celsius)
The modulus of the difference between the starting and final temperatures of the system is used to calculate the change in temperature.
The total amount of heat energy (Q)
The symbol ‘Q’ is used to represent the total amount of heat exchanged by the system. With Q = mCΔT, where m is the mass of the system,ΔT is the temperature difference, C is specific heat.
Conclusion
It is the science or act of measuring changes in the state variables of a body for the goal of calculating heat transfer associated with changes in its state caused by, for example, chemical reactions, physical changes, or phase transitions under specified restrictions. Calorimetry is carried out with the use of a calorimeter. The term calorimetry is derived from the Latin word calor, which means heat, and the Greek word , which means measure or unit of measurement. Joseph Black, a Scottish physician and scientist who is credited with being the first to detect the distinction between heat and temperature, is widely regarded as the father of the discipline of calorimetry. He was the first to recognise the distinction between heat and temperature.
