Can a Calorimeter Measure Fast Chemical Reactions?

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SUMMARY

A calorimeter cannot accurately measure fast chemical reactions due to its inherent limitations in response time and heat transfer. The discussion highlights that while calorimeters are effective for slower reactions, they struggle to capture the rapid temperature changes associated with fast reactions. Hess's Law is introduced as a necessary tool for calculating enthalpy changes in such cases, allowing for the determination of heat variations in multi-step reactions without direct measurement.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Thermochemistry principles
  • Familiarity with calorimetry techniques
  • Knowledge of Hess's Law and its applications
  • Basic concepts of enthalpy and reaction kinetics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research advanced calorimetry techniques for fast reactions
  • Study the application of Hess's Law in complex reaction systems
  • Explore the principles of reaction kinetics and their impact on calorimetry
  • Investigate alternative methods for measuring enthalpy changes in rapid reactions
USEFUL FOR

Chemistry students, researchers in thermodynamics, and professionals involved in chemical reaction analysis will benefit from this discussion.

Sonim
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TL;DR
Question about enthalpy and fast reactions.
My book introduces Thermochemistry with the concept of heat and how a calorimeter works. After that, it explains the story behind Hess Law and says that one of the reasons it was created is because a calorimeter can't calculate fast chemical reactions, but it doesn't really say the problem with it. Why can't it calculate fast chemical reactions? Won't the water in the calorimeter heat up or cool down after some time?
 
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How are you going to determine a heat of a single step of a quick multistep reaction?
 
Supposing a fast single step reaction, is it possible to calculate its enthalpy variation using a calorimeter or I would need Hess Law to calculate it using other reactions?
 

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