Stearic acid (C18H36O2) is a fatty acid, a molecule with a long hydrocarbon chain and an organic acid group (COOH) at the end. I
t is used to make cosmetics, ointments, soaps, and candles and is found in animal tissue as part of many saturated fats. In fact, when you eat meat, you are ingesting some fats containing stearic acid. ( of C18H36O2 = –948 kJ/mol, CO2=-393.5kJ/mol, H2O=-241.826kJ/mol). Calculate the heat (q) released in kcal when 2.831 g of stearic acid is burned completely.
To solve this we assume
that the gas is an ideal gas. Then, we can use the ideal gas equation which is
expressed as PV = nRT. At a constant temperature and number of moles of the gas
the product of PV is equal to some constant. At another set of condition of
temperature, the constant is still the same. Calculations are as follows:
