Results

The results of my experiment on storing energy of chemical reactions were different of what I thought they would be. My hypothesis was “If a chemical reaction happens but is restrained, then pressure will build up and energy will be efficiently stored.” It happened to be wrong, at least in the conditions I have set the experiment in. Although the capsules were kept at a temperature of 21° C throughout the period of examination, several things seemed to have gone wrong. First of all, when the capsules were opened, there was a solid in it, and there was no energy left from the reaction. This leads to believe there was a leak somewhere for the carbon dioxide to escape, or for the acetic acid to evaporate. Capsule number three had traces of acetic acid left, but there was still nothing near to the hypothesis. In all the three capsules, the solid that was left seemed to be a mix of acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate with “bubbles” of carbon dioxide stuck in it. This is probably the result of the substances being somehow restrained, but not totally. If I were to redo the experiment, I would secure the capsule so that it would be airtight. I would also try to see if different variables, like location, temperature and pressure could affect the outcomes of the experiment. I believe that if this experiment would be redone in better conditions, for example, in a research lab, the outcomes would be very different.