Heats of Reaction and Hess’s Law: Small-Scale Calorimetry—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity

Reacting magnesium metal with air in a flame provides a dazzling combustion reaction with an intense flame and blinding white light that originally was used as “flash powder” then in flashbulbs and still today in flares and fireworks. With the Heats of Reaction and Hess’s Law: Small-Scale Calorimetry—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity, use Hess’s Law to determine the heat of reaction for the combustion of magnesium. Measure the heats of reaction for magnesium and magnesium oxide with hydrochloric acid are by calorimetry then combine them with the heat of formation of water to calculate the heat of reaction for the combustion of magnesium.