What does a coffee cup calorimeter measure?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the specific measurements or properties that a coffee cup calorimeter is used to determine, likely in the context of chemistry or thermodynamics.
Answer
Heat flow or heat exchange in a liquid solution.
A coffee cup calorimeter measures the heat flow or heat exchange during reactions in a liquid solution, which corresponds to the change in enthalpy.
Answer for screen readers
A coffee cup calorimeter measures the heat flow or heat exchange during reactions in a liquid solution, which corresponds to the change in enthalpy.
More Information
A coffee cup calorimeter is typically used for aqueous reactions and operates at constant pressure, making it ideal for measuring enthalpy changes in solution-based reactions.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming it can be used for gas reactions, but gases can escape, making it ineffective for such measurements.
Sources
- Coffee Cup and Bomb Calorimetry - thoughtco.com
- Coffee Cup Calorimetry - Chemistry 301 - ch301.cm.utexas.edu
- 2.8: Heat of a Reaction and Coffee Cup Calorimeter-Home - chem.libretexts.org
