Bomb Calorimeter
Publication information:
Abstract
An old bomb calorimeter made by the Parr Instrument Company for show-and-tell. Circa 1964.
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What it shows
This calorimeter is made by the Parr Instrument Company of Moline, Illinois, and likely dates from approximately 1964. It is used as a prop to show how heats of combustion are found experimentally when discussing thermochemistry. The top can be taken off to show where the "bomb" is and how it is filled with water.
How it works
A bomb calorimeter is a device used to measure the heat energy released by the combustion of a substance. It is used to measure the calories in food. The combustion reaction takes place inside of an enclosed steel "bomb" which is in thermal contact with its surroundings, usually water. The substance inside the bomb is ignited using electricity from ignition wires. A thermometer measures the rise in temperature of the surroundings allowing for the calculation of heat gained by the water. Since the heat released by the combustion equals the heat gained by the water, the heat of combustion can be calculated if the mass of the substance is known. As far as we know, our bomb calorimeter no longer works.