Energy diagrams visually show the energy change during a reaction.
Exothermic Diagram
Reactants are at a higher energy level
Products are at a lower energy level
ฮH arrow points downward (negative)
The difference = energy released to surroundings
Endothermic Diagram
Reactants are at a lower energy level
Products are at a higher energy level
ฮH arrow points upward (positive)
The difference = energy absorbed from surroundings
Key Relationship
Energy Fundamentals Quiz ๐ฏ
Classify the Process ๐งฎ
Type "exothermic" or "endothermic" for each process:
1) Water freezing into ice
2) Dissolving ammonium nitrate in water (the solution feels cold)
3) Burning natural gas on a stove
System and Energy Flow ๐ฝ
Exit Quiz โ Energy Fundamentals โ
Part 2: Exothermic & Endothermic
๐ก๏ธ Enthalpy (ฮH) โ The Heat of Reaction
Part 2 of 7 โ State Functions and Standard Enthalpy
Topics in This Part
Section
๐ What Is Enthalpy?
At Constant Pressure
Key Signs
๐ก๏ธ Enthalpy Is a State Function
What This Means
๐ Key Concept: Mastering this material will strengthen your foundation for both the AP Chemistry exam and more advanced chemistry topics.
What You'll Master in Part 2
Understanding the core concepts covered in Part 2
Applying these ideas to solve practice problems
Building toward AP exam readiness for this topic
๐ What Is Enthalpy?
Enthalpy (H) is defined as:
H
Part 3: Coffee Cup Calorimetry
โ Calorimetry โ Measuring Heat
Part 3 of 7 โ q = mcฮT and the Coffee-Cup Calorimeter
Topics in This Part
Section
๐ The Heat Equation
Specific Heat Capacity
๐ The Coffee-Cup Calorimeter
How It Works
Key Assumptions
๐ Key Concept: Mastering this material will strengthen your foundation for both the AP Chemistry exam and more advanced chemistry topics.
What You'll Master in Part 3
Understanding the core concepts covered in Part 3
Applying these ideas to solve practice problems
Building toward AP exam readiness for this topic
๐ The Heat Equation
Part 4: Bomb Calorimetry
๐ฃ Bomb Calorimetry
Part 4 of 7 โ Constant-Volume Calorimetry
Topics in This Part
Section
๐๏ธ Bomb Calorimeter Structure
Key Feature: Constant Volume
Relationship Between ฮH and ฮE
๐ Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter
Important Distinction
๐ Key Concept: Mastering this material will strengthen your foundation for both the AP Chemistry exam and more advanced chemistry topics.
What You'll Master in Part 4
Understanding the core concepts covered in Part 4
Applying these ideas to solve practice problems
Building toward AP exam readiness for this topic
๐๏ธ Bomb Calorimeter Structure
A bomb calorimeter consists of:
Part 5: Hess's Law
๐ Hess's Law โ Adding Enthalpy Changes
Part 5 of 7 โ The Power of State Functions
Topics in This Part
Section
๐ Hess's Law
Rules for Manipulating Equations
๐ ๏ธ Problem-Solving Strategy
Step-by-Step Approach
Worked Example
๐ Key Concept: Mastering this material will strengthen your foundation for both the AP Chemistry exam and more advanced chemistry topics.
What You'll Master in Part 5
Understanding the core concepts covered in Part 5
Applying these ideas to solve practice problems
Building toward AP exam readiness for this topic
๐ Hess's Law
Hess's Law: If a reaction can be expressed as the sum of two or more other reactions, the enthalpy change of the overall reaction is the sum of the enthalpy changes of the individual reactions.
Part 6: Problem-Solving Workshop
๐๏ธ Standard Enthalpies of Formation
Part 6 of 7 โ The Master Equation
Practice Makes Perfect
This workshop features multi-step problems that mirror the AP Chemistry exam format. Each problem requires you to combine concepts from previous parts and show your work clearly.
๐ Why this matters: The AP Chemistry exam rewards students who can apply concepts to unfamiliar problems โ structured practice is the best preparation.
What You'll Master in Part 6
Working through complete multi-step problems from start to finish
Building problem-solving strategies you can apply on the AP exam
Identifying which concepts to apply and in what order
๐ก๏ธ Standard Enthalpy of Formation (ฮHยฐfโ)
The enthalpy change when one mole of a compound is formed from its elements in their standard states.
Part 7: Synthesis & AP Review
๐ฏ Synthesis & AP Review โ Enthalpy and Calorimetry
Part 7 of 7 โ Bringing It All Together
Bringing It All Together
This comprehensive review connects every concept from Parts 1โ6 with AP-style problems. The questions are designed to mirror what you'll see on the actual exam โ multi-step, multi-concept, and requiring clear written explanations.
๐ Why this matters: AP Chemistry exam questions rarely test one concept in isolation โ success requires connecting ideas across topics.
What You'll Master in Part 7
Solving AP-style questions that integrate multiple concepts from this unit
Writing clear, concise explanations using proper chemistry terminology
Identifying and avoiding common AP exam traps and mistakes
๐ Complete Concept Map
Energy and Heat
Concept
Key Equation
Notes
Heat transfer
q=m
universe
โ
=
ฮEsystemโ+
ฮEsurroundingsโ=
0
Energy is conserved โ it is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred.
If a reaction is exothermic in the forward direction, it is endothermic in reverse, and vice versa.
=
E+
PV
where E is internal energy, P is pressure, and V is volume.
We can never measure absolute enthalpy โ only the change in enthalpy:
ฮH=HproductsโโHreactantsโ
At Constant Pressure
At constant pressure (open beaker, atmospheric conditions):
ฮH=qpโโ
The enthalpy change equals the heat transferred at constant pressure. This is why chemists love enthalpy โ it directly corresponds to the heat you can measure!
๐ Key Insight: At constant pressure (like an open beaker), the enthalpy change IS the heat. This makes ฮH the most practically useful thermodynamic quantity.
Key Signs
ฮH
Meaning
Type
Negative (โ)
Heat released
Exothermic
Positive (+)
Heat absorbed
Endothermic
๐ก๏ธ Enthalpy Is a State Function
A state function depends only on the current state of the system, not on how it got there.
What This Means
The enthalpy change ฮH depends only on the initial and final states
It does not depend on the pathway or mechanism
The same reaction will have the same ฮH regardless of how many steps it takes
๐ก Analogy: Think of altitude โ your change in altitude depends only on start and end, not the trail you took. Enthalpy works the same way.
Analogy
Think of altitude: if you climb a mountain, your change in altitude depends only on your starting and ending positions โ not whether you took the steep trail or the winding road. Enthalpy works the same way.
Consequences
If a reaction can occur in one step or multiple steps, ฮH is the same
This is the foundation of Hess's Law (Part 5)
We can calculate ฮH for reactions we cannot directly measure
๐ก๏ธ Standard Enthalpy
Standard conditions in thermochemistry use the symbol ยฐ:
Parameter
Standard Value
Pressure
1 atm (or 1 bar)
Concentration
1 M (for solutions)
Temperature
Usually 25ยฐC (298 K), but must be specified
Standard Enthalpy of Reaction (ฮHยฐrxnโ)
The enthalpy change when reactants in their standard states are converted to products in their standard states.
Standard State
The standard state of a substance is its most stable form at 1 atm and the specified temperature:
Substance
Standard State
Oxygen
O2โ(g)
Carbon
C(s,graphite)
Iron
Important Relationships
If you multiply a reaction by a factor n:
ฮHnewโ=nรฮH
If you reverse a reaction:
ฮHreverseโ=โฮHforwardโ
The specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1ยฐC.
Substance
c [J/(gยทยฐC)]
Water (liquid)
4.184
Ice
2.09
Steam
2.01
Aluminum
0.897
Iron
0.449
Copper
0.385
Water has an unusually high specific heat, meaning it can absorb a lot of heat with only a small temperature change. This is why water is used as a coolant and why coastal climates are moderate.
๐ The Coffee-Cup Calorimeter
A simple calorimeter made from a Styrofoam cup with a lid and thermometer.
How It Works
Measure the initial temperature of the solution
Mix the reactants in the cup
Record the maximum (or minimum) temperature reached
Calculate q for the solution using q=mcฮT
Key Assumptions
The calorimeter is perfectly insulated (no heat escapes)
The solution has the same density and specific heat as pure water (c=4.184 J/(gยทยฐC), d=1.00 g/mL)
All heat from the reaction goes into the solution
Important Sign Convention
qrxnโ=โqsolutionโโ
If the solution warms up (qsolutionโ>0), the reaction is exothermic (qrxnโ<).
โ ๏ธ Common AP Mistake: Donโt forget the negative sign! qrxnโ and qsolutionโ always have opposite signs.
Constant Pressure
A coffee-cup calorimeter operates at constant pressure (open to the atmosphere), so:
qpโ=ฮH
๐งช Worked Example โ Coffee-Cup Calorimetry
Problem: When 50.0 mL of 1.00 M HCl is mixed with 50.0 mL of 1.00 M NaOH in a coffee-cup calorimeter, the temperature rises from 22.0ยฐC to 28.9ยฐC. Calculate ฮH per mole of water formed.
Given
Quantity
Value
Volume of HCl
50.0 mL of 1.00 M
Volume of NaOH
50.0 mL of 1.00 M
Tiโ
22.0ยฐC
Tfโ
28.9ยฐC
cwaterโ
4.184 J/(gยทยฐC)
dsolutionโ
1.00 g/mL
Step-by-Step Solution
Step
Action
Calculation
Result
1
Mass of solution
100.0ย mLร1.00ย g/mL
100.0 g
2
Temperature change
28.9โ22.0
๐ Result:ฮH=โ57.8 kJ/mol. The accepted value is โ55.8 kJ/mol โ our measurement is close! The negative sign confirms the reaction is exothermic.
Calorimetry Concept Quiz ๐ฏ
Calorimetry Calculations ๐งฎ
1) How much heat is needed to raise the temperature of 200.0 g of water from 20.0ยฐC to 45.0ยฐC? (answer in kJ, to 3 significant figures; cwaterโ=4.184 J/(gยทยฐC))
2) A 50.0 g piece of metal at 95.0ยฐC is placed in 150.0 g of water at 20.0ยฐC. The final temperature is 23.0ยฐC. What is the specific heat of the metal? (in J/(gยทยฐC), to 3 significant figures)
3) When 100.0 mL of 0.500 M HCl and 100.0 mL of 0.500 M NaOH are mixed, the temperature rises by 3.4ยฐC. What is qrxnโ in kJ? (to 3 significant figures, include sign)
Calorimetry Concepts ๐ฝ
Exit Quiz โ Calorimetry โ
The "bomb" โ a rigid, sealed steel container where the reaction occurs
Water bath โ surrounds the bomb, absorbs the released heat
Ignition wire โ initiates combustion with an electric spark
Thermometer โ measures the temperature change of the water
Stirrer โ ensures uniform temperature in the water bath
Insulated jacket โ minimizes heat loss to the environment
Key Feature: Constant Volume
The bomb is sealed and rigid โ the volume cannot change. This means:
No PV work is done (w=0 since ฮV=0)
At constant volume: qvโ=ฮE (internal energy change)
This is different from coffee-cup calorimetry where qpโ=ฮH
For reactions involving only solids and liquids, ฮHโฮE.
For reactions involving gases:
ฮH=ฮE+ฮngasโRTโ
where ฮngasโ = moles of gaseous products โ moles of gaseous reactants.
๐ Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter
For a bomb calorimeter, we use the heat capacity of the entire calorimeter (Ccalโ):
qcalโ=CcalโฮTโ
Symbol
Meaning
Units
qcalโ
Heat absorbed by calorimeter
kJ
Ccalโ
Important Distinction
Quantity
Symbol
Units
Usage
Specific heat
c
J/(gยทยฐC)
Per gram
Heat capacity
C
J/ยฐC or kJ/ยฐC
For the whole calorimeter
The heat capacity Ccalโ is determined by calibration โ burning a substance with a known heat of combustion.
Finding qrxnโ
qrxnโ=โqcalโ=โC
The negative sign reflects that heat released by the reaction is absorbed by the calorimeter.
๐งช Worked Example โ Bomb Calorimetry
Problem: A 1.50 g sample of benzoic acid (C7โH6โO2โ, molar mass = 122.12 g/mol) is burned in a bomb calorimeter with Ccalโ=10.34 kJ/ยฐC. The temperature rises from 22.45ยฐC to 25.71ยฐC. Calculate the molar heat of combustion.
Given
Quantity
Value
Mass of sample
1.50 g
Molar mass (C7โH6โO2โ)
122.12 g/mol
Step-by-Step Solution
Step
Action
Calculation
Result
1
Temperature change
25.71โ22.45
ฮT=3.26ยฐC
2
Heat absorbed by calorimeter
โ ๏ธ Note: This gives ฮE (internal energy), not ฮH, because the bomb calorimeter operates at constant volume. For this reaction, ฮHโฮE because ฮn is small.
Bomb Calorimetry Concept Quiz ๐ฏ
Bomb Calorimetry Calculations ๐งฎ
1) A bomb calorimeter has Ccalโ=8.50 kJ/ยฐC. If the temperature rises by 4.20ยฐC, what is qrxnโ? (in kJ, include sign)
2) When 0.500 g of sugar (C12โH22โO11โ, molar mass = 342.3 g/mol) is burned in a bomb calorimeter (Ccalโ=9.20 kJ/ยฐC), the temperature rises by 1.23ยฐC. What is the energy released per mole? (in kJ/mol, round to nearest whole number, report as positive)
3) A calibration experiment burns 1.000 g of benzoic acid (heat of combustion = 26.38 kJ/g) and the temperature rises by 2.55ยฐC. What is Ccalโ? (in kJ/ยฐC, to 3 significant figures)
Bomb vs. Coffee-Cup Calorimetry ๐ฝ
Exit Quiz โ Bomb Calorimetry โ
ฮHoverallโ=ฮH1โ+ฮH2โ+ฮH3โ+โฏโ
๐ Why It Works: Because enthalpy is a state function, the total ฮH depends only on the initial and final states, not the path. Whether a reaction occurs in one step or ten, ฮH is the same.
Rules for Manipulating Equations
Operation
Effect on ฮH
Reverse the reaction
Change the sign
Multiply by a factor n
Multiply ฮH by n
Add reactions together
Add ฮH values
๐ ๏ธ Problem-Solving Strategy
Step-by-Step Approach
Write the target reaction โ the one you need ฮH for
Examine the given reactions โ look for each substance in your target
Manipulate given reactions so that when added, they equal the target:
Reverse reactions if a reactant needs to be a product (or vice versa)
Multiply reactions to match the coefficients in the target
Add the manipulated reactions โ substances on opposite sides cancel
Add the adjusted ฮH values to get ฮHoverallโ
Worked Example
Problem: Find ฮH for: C(s)+21โ
Solution:
Keep reaction 1 as written (has C as reactant โ)
Reverse reaction 2 (need CO as product): CO2โ(g)โCO(g)+ kJ
Add:
C(s)+O2โ(g)+CO
Cancel CO2โ and simplify O2โ:
C(s)+21โO2โ(
ฮH=โ393.5+283.0=โ110.5ย kJ
Hess's Law Concept Quiz ๐ฏ
Hess's Law Calculations ๐งฎ
Given:
(1) S(s)+O2โ(g)โSO2โ(g)ฮH1โ=โ296.8 kJ
(2) 2SO2โ(g)+O2โ(g)โ kJ
Find ฮH for: 2S(s)+3O2โ(g)โ2
1) What must you multiply reaction (1) by? (enter the number)
2) What must you multiply reaction (2) by? (enter the number)
3) What is ฮH for the target reaction? (in kJ, to 3 significant figures)
where n and m are the stoichiometric coefficients.
How to Use It
Look up ฮHยฐfโ for every compound in the reaction
Remember: ฮHยฐfโ=0 for elements in their standard states
Multiply each by its coefficient
Worked Example
Calculate ฮHยฐrxnโ for: CH4
Substance
ฮHยฐfโ (kJ/mol)
Coefficient
CH4โ(g)
ฮHยฐrxnโ=[(โ393.5)+2(โ285.8)]โ
Formation Enthalpy Concept Quiz ๐ฏ
Formation Enthalpy Calculations ๐งฎ
Given:
Substance
ฮHยฐfโ (kJ/mol)
CO2โ(g)
โ393.5
H2โO(l)
โ285.8
C2โH6โ(g)
โ84.7
NH3โ(g)
โ45.9
NO(g)
+90.3
O2โ,N2โ,H2โ
1) Calculate ฮHยฐrxnโ for: C (in kJ, to 3 significant figures)
2) Calculate ฮHยฐrxnโ for: 4NH (in kJ, to 3 significant figures)
Formation Enthalpy Concepts ๐ฝ
Exit Quiz โ Formation Enthalpies โ
c
ฮ
T
Specific heat version
Coffee-cup calorimeter
qpโ=ฮH
Constant pressure
Bomb calorimeter
qvโ=ฮE
Constant volume
Calorimeter heat
qcalโ=CcalโฮT
Total heat capacity
Enthalpy
Concept
Key Relationship
Notes
Exothermic
ฮH<0
System releases heat
Endothermic
ฮH>0
System absorbs heat
Reverse reaction
ฮHrevโ=โฮHfwdโ
Sign change
Scaled reaction
ฮHnewโ=nโ ฮH
Linear scaling
Hess's Law & Formation
Method
Equation
Hess's Law
ฮHtotalโ=โฮHstepsโ
Formation enthalpies
ฮHยฐrxnโ=โnโ ฮHยฐ
๐ฏ AP Exam Strategies
Common AP Question Types
Calorimetry calculation โ given mass, specific heat, ฮT โ find q โ find ฮH per mole
Hess's Law โ manipulate 2-3 reactions to find ฮH for a target reaction
Formation enthalpy โ use the master equation with a table of ฮHยฐfโ values
Conceptual โ identify exo/endothermic, explain sign conventions, predict temperature changes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to flip the sign of ฮH when reversing a reaction
Using specific heat (c) when heat capacity (C) is given (or vice versa)
Forgetting that ฮHยฐfโ=0 for elements in their standard states
Mixing up qrxnโ and qsolutionโ (they have opposite signs)
Not converting between J and kJ
โ ๏ธ Unit Warning:q=mcฮT gives joules. ฮHยฐfโ values are in kJ/mol. Always check your units before combining!
Comprehensive AP Review Quiz ๐ฏ
Integration Problems ๐งฎ
1) 150.0 mL of 2.00 M HCl reacts with excess NaOH in a coffee-cup calorimeter. The temperature rises by 13.4ยฐC. Assume the solution's mass is 150.0 g and c=4.184 J/(gยทยฐC). What is ฮH per mole of HCl? (in kJ/mol, to 3 significant figures, include sign)
2) Using the ฮHยฐfโ values below, calculate ฮHยฐrxnโ for C3โH8โ(g)+5O. (in kJ)
Substance
ฮHยฐfโ (kJ/mol)
CO2โ(g)
Comprehensive Concept Review ๐ฝ
Final Exit Quiz โ Thermochemistry Mastery โ
Fe(s)
Bromine
Br2โ(l)
Mercury
Hg(l)
original
โ
2
โ
(
g
)
+
23โH2โ(g)โ
NH3โ(g)
2
โ
(
g
)
+
3H2โ(g)
2
โ
(
g
)
โ
4NH3โ(g)
0
ฮT=6.9ยฐC
3
Heat absorbed by solution
(100.0)(4.184)(6.9)
qsolโ=2887ย J=2.89ย kJ
4
Heat of reaction
โqsolutionโ
qrxnโ=โ2.89ย kJ
5
Moles of water formed
0.0500ย Lร1.00ย M
0.0500 mol
6
ฮH per mole
โ2.89/0.0500
ฮH=โ57.8ย kJ/mol
Heat capacity of calorimeter
kJ/ยฐC
ฮT
Temperature change
ยฐC
cal
โ
ฮ
T
Ccalโ
10.34 kJ/ยฐC
Tiโ
22.45ยฐC
Tfโ
25.71ยฐC
(10.34)(3.26)
qcalโ=33.71ย kJ
3
Heat of reaction
โqcalโ
qrxnโ=โ33.71ย kJ
4
Moles of benzoic acid
1.50/122.12
0.01228ย mol
5
Molar heat of combustion
โ33.71/0.01228
ฮE=โ2745ย kJ/mol
gasโ
O2โ
(
g
)
โ
CO(g)
Given:
C(s)+O2โ(g)โCO2โ(g)ฮH1โ=โ393.5 kJ
CO(g)+21โO kJ
2
1
โ
O2โ
(
g
)
ฮ
H
=
+283.0
2โ
(
g
)
โ
CO2โ(g)+
CO(g)+
21โO2โ(g)
g
)
โ
CO(g)
2SO3โ(g)ฮH2โ=
โ197.8
SO3โ
(
g
)
ฮHยฐfโ
Subtract the sum of reactants from the sum of products