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Ethanol can be used as a liquid fuel - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 10 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 10
Ethanol can be used as a liquid fuel. A student investigates how much heat energy is released when a known mass of ethanol is burned. The apparatus is set up as sh... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Ethanol can be used as a liquid fuel - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 10 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
(i) Give a reason why, even if the ethanol burns completely, the actual temperature rise is much less than the theoretical value.
Answer
The heat energy may be lost to the surroundings during the burning process. This could occur due to inadequate insulation or the setup allowing heat to escape, meaning less energy is available to raise the temperature of the water.
Step 2
(ii)
Answer
To further illustrate why the actual temperature rise is less than expected, additional factors can be considered:
- Using a draught shield or insulating material can help minimize heat loss.
- If more heat energy goes to the water, less heat escapes. Hence, proper apparatus setup is vital to ensure maximum heat transfer to the water.