Introduction Chemical reactions are often accompanied by energy changes.

Energy is stored in the chemicals and during a reaction there is excess energy (in which case it will be released) or not enough energy (in which case it will be absorbed from the surroundings). If energy is released in the form of heat, the reaction is called exothermic. If energy is consumed by the reaction, it is called endothermic. These chemical reactions involve the making and breaking of covalent bonds. Energy is required to break bonds, into neutral fragments (atoms) and it is liberated in the formation of chemical bonds.

The change in energy is due mainly to the rearrangement of atoms which involves breaking chemical bonds in reactant molecules and forming new bonds in product molecules. The atoms are not created or destroyed, but are simply rearranged. Breaking of chemical bonds requires energy which is an endothermic process. On the contrary, when chemical bonds form, energy is given out; bond formation is an exothermic process. Whether there is a net absorption or release of energy depends on the number of bonds broken and formed as well as the strength of those bonds. The heat of reaction is the net heat effect for the reaction and is often the combination of several effects.

This experiment will observe and investigate the heat of reaction for three types of reactions: the hydration of a liquid, the dissolving of a solid, and neutralization (the reaction of an acid with a base). The quantity of heat will not be measured in any of the experiments. Instead temperature changes will be observed as indicators of heat effects.