The amount of heat absorbed or released by the calorimeter is equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the amount of heat produced or consumed by the reaction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This statement is a basic principle of calorimetry, known as the law of conservation of energy. It means that the calorimeter measures the heat transfer between the system (the reaction) and the surroundings (the calorimeter and its contents), and this heat transfer is equal and opposite for the system and surroundings. Therefore, the calorimeter can be used to calculate the heat of the reaction, based on the temperature change of the calorimeter and its contents.

The Amount of Heat Absorbed or Released by the Calorimeter