Calorimetry and Heat: Choosing the System and the Sign
A solution becomes warmer after a reaction begins. The solution gained thermal energy. To describe the reaction’s energy change, you must first decide whether the reaction or the surrounding solution is your system. Calorimetry estimates transferred heat from measurable temperature changes and heat capacities. For a sample with no phase change and approximately constant specific […]
Stoichiometry and Limiting Reactants: Finding the Maximum Product
A reaction can stop producing product while one reactant remains. The limiting reactant determines the maximum amount of product. Comparing the starting masses alone will not identify it, because the equation requires specific mole ratios. Stoichiometry uses a balanced chemical equation to relate amounts of reactants and products. The limiting reactant permits the smallest theoretical […]
