Exothermic Reaction

Before conducting the experiment, the online simulation was used to determine which substances were endothermic or exothermic when dissolved in water. According to the simulation, sodium chloride and ammonium chloride was observed to be endothermic. Calcium chloride, sodium acetate, sodium carbonate, and lithium chloride was observed to be exothermic. As sodium chloride and ammonium chloride was observed to be endothermic, those two salt substrates was not used in the experiment as the goal of the experiment was to increase temperature, not decrease it. Additionally, health hazards of the products made by each substrate reacting with water was researched. The 2016 cost per gram of each substrate was given by the instructor. To start the experiment, 10g of sodium acetate, sodium carbonate, calcium chloride, and lithium chloride were weighed out and placed separately into their respective dixie
One styrofoam cup was cut in half, and the other was cut about ⅓ from the bottom. Then the shorter cut of the two was placed open side facing above and the taller cup was placed on top of the shorter cup to prevent any heat loss to the air. Then the shorter cup was secured on a base with tape and a hole was drilled with a stir stick on the top of the taller cup to allow the stir stick and a thermometer reach the chemical reaction. With the calorimeter set up and ready, the experiment was ready to be conducted. The calorimeter was placed on a metric scale and tared. Then 2.5g of a substrate was measured out using a small scoop and placed in the calorimeter. A scale was used to control the amount of substrate to 2.5g in each trial. Then 20 ml of distilled water was measured using a 50 ml graduated cylinder and the temperature of the distilled water was measured and recorded by placing a thermometer for one