Comparing the organs of different vertebrates

Introduction

When a chemical reaction occurs, energy is transferred to, or from, the surroundings -
and there is often a temperature change. For example, when a fire burns it transfers heat
energy to the surroundings. Objects near a fire become warmer. The temperature rise
can be measured with a thermometer.

Exothermic reactions
These are reactions that transfer energy to the surroundings. The energy is usually
transferred as heat energy, causing the reaction mixture and its surroundings to become
hotter. The temperature increase can be detected using a thermometer. Some examples
of exothermic reactions are:

Burning/combustion eg lighting up hydrogen

The reaction between acids and metals eg hydrochloric acid and magnesium to
give magnesium chloride
neutralisation reactions between acids and alkalis eg hydrochloric acid and
sodium hydroxide to give sodium chloride and water
the reaction between water and calcium oxide example is not needed
Typical graph of an exothermic reaction:

Endothermic reactions
These are reactions that take in energy from the surroundings. The energy is usually
transferred as heat energy, causing the reaction mixture and its surroundings to get
colder. The temperature decrease can also be detected using a thermometer. Some
examples of endothermic reactions are:

electrolysis
the reaction between acids and sodium carbonate
the thermal decomposition of a metal carbonate
Typical graph of an endothermic reaction:
Results

Reaction Substance Substance Initial Final Exothermic

1 2 temperature temperature and
(degrees (degrees endothermic
Celsius) Celsius)
A 20cm3 1 spatula 25 35 Exothermic
copper zinc powder
sulphate
solution
B 20cm3 20cm3 24 25 Exothermic
sodium hydrochloric
hydroxide acid
solution solution
C 20cm3 citric 20cm3 24 20 Endothermic
powder sodium
acid hydrogen
carbonate
solution
D 20cm3 20cm3 25 25 Endothermic
ethanoic sodium
acid carbonate
solution solution
E 20cm3 2 spatulas 25 -15 Endothermic
barium chloride
hydroxide ammonium
solution powder

Discussion

From reaction A, you can see that the final temperature is higher than the initial
temperature. This means that heat has been transferred to its surroundings, meaning
that the reaction for A is exothermic.

Reaction B shows you that the solution became hotter by one degree Celsius. This
shows that reaction B is a exothermic because it transfers heat energy to its
surroundings. This is explained in my introduction, it is because sodium hydroxide is
an alkali and hydrochloric acid is an acid, when acids and alkalis react, they make a
neutralization reaction. Since all neutralization reactions are exothermic, this just
means that this reaction is exothermic.

Reaction C shows that the solution got colder. This is due to the fact that when acids
react with a metal carbonate, it is an endothermic reaction. Since sodium hydrogen
carbonate solution is metal carbonate and citric powder acid is an acid, the result
would be that the reaction is endothermic.

In reaction D, you cant see a change in temperature meaning that you cant make an
assumption about whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic, however from
my introduction, I have stated the fact that when you react an acid with a metal
carbonate an endothermic reaction would take place, meaning that the reaction is
endothermic.

The final reaction is an obvious endothermic reaction due to the fact that the
temperature had dropped all the way from 25 degrees all the way down to -15
degrees. Thats an extremely large drop in temperature in such a short period of time.

Ahmed Khalil 10 C
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