Using ice in the combustion of Paraffin and Methanol

[Macroer]

Homework Statement

During a lab where the heat of combustion of paraffin and methanol was found, ice was used to lower the temperature of water to 10 C, then the water was heated to 30C. This inturn gave us the information to find the molar heat of combustion.

My question is why was ice used?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Since the room temperature was around 20 C, i think it decreased the experimental error because the 10 and 30 degrees average to 20 C.

Need some help, ty.

 

[nate808]

Hello,

Thank you for your question. The reason ice was used in this experiment is because it helps to control the temperature of the water. By starting with ice and slowly heating it up, you can ensure that the temperature of the water rises at a steady rate. This is important because it allows for more accurate measurements and reduces the potential for experimental error. Additionally, using ice helps to keep the temperature of the water low, which is important when dealing with heat of combustion reactions that can produce a lot of heat. If the water were at room temperature to begin with, the temperature rise would be much faster and it would be more difficult to accurately measure the heat of combustion.

I hope this helps to clarify why ice was used in the experiment. Let me know if you have any further questions. Good luck with your research!