ABSTRACT In this experiment a bomb calorimeter is used to determine the heat of combustion of an organic substance such as naphthalene, C10H8

in two parts. In part one; Electrical ignition is used to ignite and burn 1gm of benzoic acid and the temperatures are recorded with time and plotted in a graph and used to find the heat capacity of the system through the knowledge of the heat of combustion of the benzoic acid. In part two,1 gm of naphthalene powder is turned into a pellet using the pellet press then burnt in the bomb calorimeter and using the heat capacity of the system found in one the heat of combustion of naphthalene is calculated. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this experiment are to determine in the determination of the heat of combustion and heat capacity of an organic substance such as naphthalene. Other objectives are to know how to use a bomb calorimeter and to know what calorimetry is. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In practical applications, processes are carried out at constant pressure or at constant volume. In nearly all cases it is most convenient to carry it out at constant pressure; the experiment on the heat of ionic reaction is an example. An exception to the general rule is the determination of a heat of combustion, which is conveniently carried out at constant volume in a "bomb calorimetry." However, we can easily calculate H from U as determined from a constant-volume process (or U from H as determined from a constant-pressure process) by use of the equation

H U ( pV )
When all reactants and products are condensed phases, the (pV) term is negligible in comparison with H or U, and the distinction between these two quantities is unimportant. When gases are involved it is significant, though still small in comparison with H or U. Since it is small, we can employ the perfect gas law and rewrite it as

H U RT n gas
The following equation can be used in finding the heat of combustion of this reaction:

Cp

Q m * (T2 T 1)