Experiment 22

Dystan Medical Supply Company

Maxwell Brunt

Eoghan Knibbe

Section 201

March 17, 2017

Introduction

Hot and cold packs are used a lot in the medical industry because of their use in the

dilation of blood vessels around the area of wounds. They are usually made of part water and

part salt separated by a plastic barrier that prevents them from mixing until broken, and it is that

mixing that causes the temperature to change in the pack. The problem that this experiment is

attempting to solve has to do with the salt of these hot and cold packs. By testing the heat of

dissolution of the four differents salts given, it is possible to determine which is the most

economically viable heating agent and cooling agent for these packs. This is done by taking

thermograms for two trials of each different type of salt.

This experiment is being conducted on behalf of Dystan Medical Supply Company so

they can then use the results to select the most efficient salts for their purposes. It is important

that only the most energy effective salts are used but they are also asking based on price which

would be the most advantageous. This means that there are two factors to consider instead of

one. It is important that we find the right salts to insure the maximum efficiency while still

making sure that Dystan makes a profit in the process.

In this experiment we will use what we learned from the Thermal Energy Associated with

Physical and Chemical Changes Lab (Experiment 19) and apply it to the problem here. We will

be using the same processes involved, however we will have different reagents for this lab. To

figure out whether each salt would be best served in a hot or a cold pack, we will measure the

heat of dissolution for each and determine which read as exothermic and which read as

endothermic. However, before this portion of the lab can be done, we must first find the

Calorimeter Constant of our system. This is done by adding known masses and temperatures of
water to the calorimeter and reading their thermograms. To find the calorimeter constant, the

following equations will be used:

qcalorimeter= -qwarm water-qcool water

qcalorimeter= -(mwarm water Cwarm water Twarm water) - (mcool water Ccool water Tcool water)

Ccalorimeter=qcalorimeter / Tcool water

Then, by mixing each salt with water in the calorimeter, the molar heat of dissolution can be

figured out using the following equations:

Hdissolution=(qdissolution)(moles of substance dissolved)

qsolution = (msolution)(Csolution)(Tsolution)

Then, it can be figured out whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic (hot pack or cold

pack) using:

-qreaction=qsolution+qcalorimeter

Or -qreaction=[(msolution)(Csolution)(Tsolution)]+[(Ccalorimeter)(Tcalorimeter)].

Lastly, it can be figured out the mass of each salt needed to get to the specified temperatures of

0-degrees or 65-degrees celsius depending on whether the salt will make a hot or cold pack using

the calculated heat of dissolution:

Hdissolution=(mass of salt + 100 g H2O)(Csolution)(Tsolution)(mass of salt)(molar mass of salt)

The specific heat of each solution or Csolution will be equal to that of water or 4.184 J/gC.

Experimental
 List of Chemicals

A. Ammonium Nitrate
B. Calcium Chloride
C. Lithium Chloride
D. Potassium Chloride

List of Special Equipment

A. MeasureNet Temperature Probe

B. Styrofoam Cups and Lids
C. Magnetic Stirrer and Stir Bar

Setup

Procedure

PART A: Determining Calorimeter Constant

Set up MeasureNet to record a Thermogram

 Next add 45 to 50 ml of cold water to the styrofoam cup and record the mass and

temperature of the water on the data sheets. Make sure that everything is congruent with the

setup above, with the stir bar, lid, and probe in the proper place. Using a hot plate, heat up about

60 ml of water in a beaker so that it is 45-60 degrees above room temperature. After it is heated,

record the final temperature and mass of the hot water on the data sheets. Start recording the

thermogram and after waiting 5-10 seconds quickly pour in the hot water and replace the lid.

When the temperature levels out, stop recording the thermogram and save the file. Make sure

that all data is recorded on the sheets in order to do the calculations and graphs later.

PART B: Determining Heats of Dissolution of Salts

This experiment will have the same set up for the calorimeter. Keep the stir bar on low

and add 25 ml of cool, room temperature water to the styrofoam cup. Record the Mass and

Temperature on the data sheets. Next, measure out approximately 1.000 g of one of the four

given salts. Record the Mass and Temperature of this salt on the data sheets. Next start the

recording the Thermogram and after 5-10 seconds, add in the Salt and turn up the stir bar making

sure that it doesnt hit the temperature probe. When the temperature stabilizes on the graph then

hit stop and save the Thermogram.

Repeat the above process for two trials of every salt (eight trials in total), making sure to

record all the data in order to complete the calculations and graphs at the end.

Results

PART A: Determination of Calorimeter Constant

Trial #1 Trial #2

Mass Cold Water (g) 47.0 g 46.0 g

Mass Hot Water (g) 54.0 g 54.0 g

Initial Temperature of Cold Water (C) 21.61 24.22

Initial Temperature of Hot Water (C) 66.0 77.0

Equilibrium Temperature (C) 41.54 48.54

PART B: Determination of Heat of Dissolution for Each Salt

Trial #1 Trial #2

Ammonium Nitrate

Mass Cold Water (g) 25.0 g 25.0 g

Mass Ammonium Nitrate (g) 1.005 g 1.000 g

Initial Temperature of Cold Water (C) 22.27 22.09

Initial Temperature Ammonium Nitrate (C) 24.0 24.0

Equilibrium Temperature (C) 19.53 19.27

Calcium Chloride

Mass Cold Water (g) 25.0 g 25.0 g

Mass Calcium Chloride (g) 1.000 g 1.000 g

Initial Temperature of Cold Water (C) 22.25 22.05

Initial Temperature Calcium Chloride (C) 24.0 24.0

Equilibrium Temperature (C) 20.10 20.00

Lithium Chloride

Mass Cold Water (g) 25.0 g 25.0 g

Mass Lithium Chloride (g) 1.000 g 1.000 g

Initial Temperature of Cold Water (g) 21.90 21.95

Initial Temperature Lithium Chloride (C) 24.0 24.0

Equilibrium Temperature (C) 28.82 28.68

Potassium Chloride

Mass Cold Water (g) 25.0 g 25.0 g

Mass Potassium Chloride (g) 1.001 g 1.000 g

Initial Temperature of Cold Water (C) 21.98 21.94

Initial Temperature Ammonium Nitrate (C) 24.0 24.0

Equilibrium Temperature (C) 26.52 26.56

Discussion
From the experiment, it was calculated that the calorimeter constant was 76.3 J/degrees C. From

all the trials, we discovered that ammonium nitrate as well as calcium chloride are capable of serving as

cold packs due to the fact that they both created an endothermic reaction. Thus, lithium chloride and

potassium chloride can both serve as hot packs since they were exothermic reactions. Using the

experimental data, it was determined that 41.79 grams of ammonium nitrate and 36.91 grams of calcium

chloride are necessary to produce a cold pack that reaches 0-degrees Celsius. When comparing the prices

of the possible cold pack materials, it would cost $2.64 to produce an ammonium nitrate cold pack, and

$3.62 to produce a calcium chloride cold pack. This means that the most cost effective material choice is

ammonium nitrate. For the hot pack options, it takes 27.45 grams of lithium chloride and 47.28 grams of

potassium chloride to produce a hot pack that reaches 65-degrees Celsius. That amount of lithium

chloride would cost $4.85 per hot pack as opposed to the $3.95 expense per potassium chloride hot pack,

making potassium chloride the cheaper option.

 Our results were really quite explicit. There was a very small margin of variation between the two

trials of salt which helped promote confidence in our data. It also is clear that our thermograms each line

up to the calculations for hot or cold pack and most if not all of the graphs are precise and well shaped,

another positive thing. The only thing that was strange to me was how high our calorimeter constant was.

When I compared it to several other lab groups, they reported a much lower Calorimeter Constant.

However, I do not think this negatively affected our data because it is a constant, so as long as we used it

consistently, then all the data is still proportionally comparable. This means that we were still able to

compare prices for our data with precision. Another thing that makes me think that it was fine was how

close the two trials for the constant were, if there was a larger margin between them, it would have been

much more concerning. So, all in all I think this experiment went really well and we performed it

precisely and accurately.

Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to figure out which salts out of ammonium nitrate, calcium

chloride, and lithium chloride would make the most effective hot and cold pack. To do this we first had to

figure out which salts could be hot packs and which could be cold based on whether the reaction was

endothermic or exothermic. We found that ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride both had an

endothermic reactions and therefore can be used as cold packs while lithium chloride and potassium

chloride each had exothermic reactions and can both be used in hot packs. We discovered that 25.61

grams and 36.91 grams of ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride respectively are needed to bring a

cold pack to 0 degrees celsius. Based on these numbers, ammonium nitrate is the more cost effective salt

at $2.64 per cold pack instead of the $3.62 it would cost to use calcium chloride. As for the for the hot

packs, it was found that to reach 65-degrees Celsius, 27.45 grams of lithium chloride and 43.30 grams of

potassium chloride were needed. This makes potassium chloride the more cost effective salt to use in a

hot pack as it would cost $3.95 per hot pack in comparison to the $4.84 per lithium chloride hot pack.
 Bibliography

Stanton, B., Zhu, L., & Atwood, C. H. (2006). Experiments in general chemistry featuring

MeasureNet. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. The book provided the information needed

for the procedure and detailed instructions.