Altering the Amount of Heat Produced When Magnesium Reacts with Sulphur

Altering the Amount of Heat Produced When Magnesium Reacts with Sulphuric Acid When energy in the form of heat is given out of a reaction it is an exothermic reaction. Exothermic reactions usually need activation energy, the energy to break the bonds in the chemicals and to start the reaction. Once the bonds are broken new stronger bonds are formed. In an exothermic reaction energy in the form so heat is given out to the surrounding when the products are formed. Therefore there is an average rise in temperature; energy is lost which results in a negative ?H. The outcome variable for this experiment is to conclude what changes can be made to vary the heat energy when magnesium is reacted with sulphuric acid. Magnesium + Sulphuric Acid  ¡Ãƒ º Magnesium Sulphate + Hydrogen Mg (s) + H2SO4 (a)  ¡Ãƒ º MgSO4 (a) + H2 (g) There are many variables which can be changed in some way to effect the reaction, some of which are listed below:- Volume of Sulphuric Acid Concentration of Sulphuric Acid Initial temperature of Sulphuric Acid Motion of liquid (speed of stirring) Amount and size of magnesium Purity of magnesium The extent of oxidation on the surface of the magnesium Addition of Catalysts Size of Container Temperature of surrounding environment Pressure at which reaction is conducted Insulation of the test-tube Height of thermometer above the base of the test-tube Explaining variables In solutions of higher concentration, particles are closer together. They have a greater chance of colliding. Because there are more collisions the reaction rate is greater. How does temperature affect the rate of a chem... ...by encasing each experiment to prevent any changes in temperature at the start of the reaction to the end of the reaction from affecting the experiment. Extensions to the investigation Computers could be used to carry out data logs of the temperature during the experiment to give a more reliable and more accurate account of the experiments and to help distinguish patterns between concentration, heat produced and rate of reaction throughout each reaction. More concentrations of acid could be used to see if they also have similar affects on the temperature rise. Different substances could be reacted to see if they behave similarly. More repeats could be carried out to qualify the findings. These could be done under different conditions to see how the reactions react under a colder or hotter environment.