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Ch.9 - Thermochemistry: Chemical Energy
Chapter 9, Problem 93

The following steps occur in the reaction of ethyl alcohol (CH3CH2OH) wiht oxygen to yield acetic acid (CH3CO2H). Show that equations 1 and 2 sum to give the net equation and calculate ΔH° for the net equation. (1) CH3CH2OH(l) + 1/2 O2(g) → CH3CHO (g) + H2O(l) ΔH° = -174.2 kJ (2) CH3CHO(g) + 1/2 O2(g) → CH3CO2H(l) ΔH° = -318.4 kJ (Net) CH3CH2OH(l) + O2(g) → CH3CO2H(l) + H2O(l) ΔH° = ?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Hess's Law

Hess's Law states that the total enthalpy change for a chemical reaction is the sum of the enthalpy changes for the individual steps of the reaction, regardless of the pathway taken. This principle allows us to calculate the enthalpy change of a net reaction by adding the enthalpy changes of the intermediate reactions, as long as the initial and final states are the same.
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Enthalpy Change (ΔH°)

Enthalpy change (ΔH°) is a measure of the heat content of a system at constant pressure. It indicates whether a reaction is exothermic (releases heat, ΔH° < 0) or endothermic (absorbs heat, ΔH° > 0). In this context, calculating ΔH° for the net reaction involves summing the ΔH° values of the individual steps to find the overall energy change.
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Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations is essential to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is conserved in a reaction. In this case, the net equation must reflect the stoichiometry of the reactants and products accurately. This involves adjusting coefficients to balance the equation, which is crucial for correctly calculating the enthalpy change and understanding the reaction's dynamics.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
A 110.0 g piece of molybdenum metal is heated to 100.0 °C and placed in a calorimeter that contains 150.0 g of water at 24.6 °C. The system reaches equilibirum at a final temeprature of 28.0 °C. Calcualte the specific heat of molybdenum metal in J/g·°C. The specific heat of water is 4.18 J/g·°C
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Textbook Question
Citric acid has three dissociable hydrogens. When 5.00 mL of 0.64 M citric acid and 45.00 mL of 0.77 M NaOH are mixed at an initial temperature of 26.0 °C, the temperature rises to 27.9 °C as the citric acid is neutralized. The combined mixture ahs a mass of 51.6 g and a specific heat of 4.0 J/(g·°C). Assuming that no heat is transferred to the surroundings, cal- culate the enthalpy change for the reaction of 1.00 mol of cit- ric acid in kJ. Is the reaction exothermic or endothermic?
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Textbook Question
What is Hess's law, and why does it 'work'?
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Textbook Question
The industrial degreasing solvent methylene chloride, CH2Cl2, is prepared from methane by reaction with chlorine: CH4(g) + 2 Cl2(g) → CH2Cl2(g) + 2 HCl(g) Use the following data to calcualte ΔH° in kilojoules for the reaction: CH4(g) + Cl2(g) → CH3Cl(g) + HCl(g) ΔH° = -98.3 kJ CH3Cl(g) + Cl2(g) → CH2Cl2(g) + HCl(g) ΔH° = -104 kJ
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Textbook Question
Hess's law can be used to calculate reaction enthalpies for hypothetical processes that can't be carried out in the labo- ratory. Set up a Hess's law cycle that will let you calculate ∆H° for the conversion of methane to ethylene: 2 CH4(g) → C2H4(g) + 2 H2(g) You can use the following information: 2 C2H6(g) + 7 O2(g) → 4 CO2(g) + 6 H2O(l) ∆H° = -3120.8 kJ CH4(g) + 2 O2(g) → CO2(g) + 2 H2O(l) ∆H° = -890.3 kJ C2H4(g) + H2(g) → C2H6(g) ∆H° = -136.3 kJ H2O(l) ∆H°f = -285.8 kJ/mol
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Textbook Question
Find ∆H° in kilojoules for the reaciton of nitric oxide with oxygen, 2 NO(g) + O2(g) → N2O4(g), given the following data: N2O4(g) → 2 NO2(g) ∆H° = 55.3 kJ NO(g) + 1/2 O2(g) → NO2(g) ∆H° = -58.1 kJ
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