calorimeter

(noun)

An apparatus for measuring the heat generated or absorbed by either a chemical reaction, change of phase or some other physical change.

Related Terms

  • constant-volume calorimeter
  • constant-pressure calorimeter

Examples of calorimeter in the following topics:

  • Solving Problems with Calorimetry

    • They range from simple coffee cup calorimeters used by introductory chemistry students to sophisticated bomb calorimeters used to determine the energy content of food.
    • To do so, the heat is exchanged with a calibrated object (calorimeter).
    • Bomb calorimeters require calibration to determine the heat capacity of the calorimeter and ensure accurate results.
    • This is the picture of a typical setup of bomb calorimeter.
    • Explain a bomb calorimeter is used to measure heat evolved in a combustion reaction
  • Calorimetry

    • Calorimetry is performed with a calorimeter.
    • A simple calorimeter just consists of a thermometer attached to a metal container full of water suspended above a combustion chamber.
    • This involves the use of a constant-volume calorimeter (one type is called a Bomb calorimeter).
    • In addition, the object placed inside the calorimeter shows that the objects transferred their heat to the calorimeter and into the liquid, and the heat absorbed by the calorimeter and the liquid is equal to the heat given off by the metals.
    • The measurement of heat using a simple calorimeter, like the coffee cup calorimeter, is an example of constant-pressure calorimetry, since the pressure (atmospheric pressure) remains constant during the process.
  • Radiation Detection

    • Modern detectors are also used as calorimeters to measure the energy of detected radiation.
  • Human Metabolism

    • This energy is measured by burning food in a calorimeter, which is how the units are determined.
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