What Explains The Key Difference Between A Bomb Calorimeter And A Coffee Cup Calorimeter?

One tool used to measure heat, which is essential for calorimetry, is a calorimeter. It is primarily composed of a metallic vessel composed of materials like copper and aluminum, among others, which are good electrical conductors. Additionally, the ability to agitate the vessel’s contents is provided. 

This stirrer-equipped metallic vessel is stored in an insulating jacket to keep heat from escaping into the surrounding air. To measure the change in thermal characteristics within, a thermometer can be introduced through a single aperture. There are different types of calorimeters. 

  • Adiabatic Calorimeters
  • Reaction Calorimeters
  • Bomb Calorimeters (Constant Volume Calorimeters)
  • Constant Pressure Calorimeters
  • Differential Scanning Calorimeter
  • Adiabatic Calorimeters

About History 

The first ice calorimeters were made in 1761 thanks to Joseph Black’s introduction of the concept of latent heat. Antoine Lavoisier melted the snow around his contraption in 1780 by using the heat from the guinea pig’s respiration. Because of its both Latin and Greek ancestry, Lavoisier named this device the calorimeter. 

Lavoisier and Pierre-Simon Laplace employed one of the earliest ice calorimeters in the winter of 1782. This device measured the heat emitted from chemical reactions by measuring the heat needed to melt ice into water. There are many Jelly boba tea supplier that supplies different types of jellies, teas, and kitchen appliances. 

What is a Bomb Calorimeter?

A laboratory tool called a bomb calorimeter is used to calculate how much heat is generated or absorbed during a chemical process. It is employed to ascertain the liquid and solid fuels’ respective calorific values. The calorimeter is made up of the sample to be analyzed and an oxygen-filled bomb, a robust steel shell. After that, the bomb is put inside a copper container filled with water, which serves as a thermal insulator. 

By cutting off an electric circuit, the sample is ignited, and the water in the calorimeter absorbs the heat produced during combustion. A thermometer is used to measure the water’s temperature, and the calorimeter’s heat capacity is used to compute the heat change that occurs throughout the reaction.

The original Berthelot calorimeter was developed into the current bomb calorimeter, which is composed of corrosion-resistant steel. It is a kind of constant-volume calorimeter used to calculate the heat of combustion for samples that burn oxygen. The calorimeter is used to precisely measure the energy shift that occurs during a process.

What is a Coffee Cup Calorimeter?

A straightforward tool for calculating the heat produced by a chemical process is a coffee cup calorimeter. It has a thermometer inserted through the lid and is made up of two nested Styrofoam cups with a lid. The inner cup, which is filled with a known volume of water, is where the reaction happens. 

Is a Calorimeter in a Coffee Cup an Open or Closed System_

In addition to being filled with a predetermined volume of water, the outer cup acts as an insulator to stop heat loss to the environment. Before and after the reaction, the temperature change of the water in the inner cup is measured, and the heat of the reaction may be computed using the following formula:

q = (specific heat) x m x Δt

Where Δt is the temperature change, m is mass in grams, and q is heat flow. The amount of heat needed to raise a substance’s temperature by one degree Celsius per gram is known as its specific heat. Water has a specific heat of 4.18 J/ (g·°C).

The Use of Calorimetry

It is now commonly understood that matter always adheres to the principle of lowest energy, meaning that it will always choose to exist in the condition with the lowest energy. Matter can nevertheless exist in a range of energy states. For instance, uranium atoms are extremely powerful.

Matter’s energy greatly influences its reactivity, natural occurrence, and other properties. By analyzing the connection between them, we may forecast the occurrence of natural events, reactivity, and physical characteristics using calorimetry’s energy measurements. Answers to questions about structure and other features will necessarily come from an understanding of a substance’s thermodynamic properties.

Differences between a Coffee Cup Calorimeter and a Bomb Calorimeter

What is the primary difference between a coffee cup calorimeter and a bomb calorimeter? There is a single, significant distinction between how a bomb calorimeter and a coffee cup calorimeter operate. The chemical reaction occurs in the water within a coffee cup calorimeter. The reaction in a bomb calorimeter occurs inside the bomb vessel, a sealed metal container. After that, the bomb vessel is put within an insulated adiabatic chamber—some models even have polystyrene insulation.

Differences between a Coffee Cup Calorimeter and a Bomb Calorimeter

The bomb vessel is a sealed, high-pressure vessel, which is the other significant distinction. The sample-containing bomb vessel is inflated with pure oxygen to a pressure of thirty bar. To ensure a thorough burn, the oxygen helps the sample burn. Thus, a consistent set of outcomes is produced. The heat from the reaction is completely absorbed by the walls of the bomb vessel when a sample is shot. 

Similar to a coffee cup calorimeter, no energy is lost because the container is sealed and enveloped in a polystyrene shell for insulation. The bomb factor refers to the constant mass of the bomb vessel, which is the sole mass (the water mass of the coffee cup was known) in the chamber.

The bomb vessel’s temperature differential is measured in the same way as a coffee cup calorimeter. Though it takes longer than 80% of the calorimeters on the market, time is still required for the reaction heat to be completely absorbed into the bomb due to the mass of the bomb vessel. Eight highly precise temperature sensors are housed in the walls of our blast vessel, enabling instantaneous, rapid, and accurate temperature analysis. AKI Supplies is a big supplier of coffee, tea fruit jellies, and many other restaurant products for your restaurant and cafes.

Conclusion

A differentiating factor between a bomb calorimeter and a bomb vessel is that the former can be repeatedly utilized, merely requiring a cooling cycle between determinations. Our bomb calorimeters are incredibly quick and simple to set up, often running a sample every six minutes.

 

Read Also: Why Is a Coffee Creamer Flammable? Reasons

 

FAQs

Q1) Why Does the Accuracy of a Bomb Calorimeter Surpass that of a Calorimeter?

Because it accounts for the reaction’s continuous pressure and temperature, the bomb calorimeter is more precise than other energy measurement techniques. Some techniques depend on dynamic temperatures, which may lead to measurements that are off.

Q2) Why Does the Calorimeter in a Coffee Cup have a Constant Pressure?

Because the equipment is exposed to the atmosphere and records temperature changes at constant pressure, it is known as a “constant pressure calorimeter.” The reaction mixture will probably expand or contract slightly as a result of the temperature change, but the volume change is essentially insignificant.

Q3) Is a Calorimeter in a Coffee Cup an Open or Closed System?

The coffee cup calorimeter is an open system, which allows gases to escape throughout the reaction, in contrast to the bomb calorimeter. This makes it appropriate for researching reactions that take place in solutions, including salt dissolution or neutralization reactions.

Q4) Is the Calorimeter on a Coffee Cup Always Negative?

Heat entering the calorimeter from the reaction exits it, and vice versa. Thus, a temperature rise indicates an “exothermic” and negative reaction. In contrast, a reaction must be endothermic and positive if the temperature falls during the reaction.