Chemistry in Hot Packs in Terms of Reaction, Thermochemistry, and Bonds Formed or Broken
Select one of the following products that utilizes a chemical reaction as a main feature:
(hot pack or light sticks- hot pack works great because I live in a ski area where we use these hand warmers quite a bit)- like to tie it into my own environment - thx
Hot pack- I assume its the same as hand warmers we use skiing.."/if not use light sticks
Can of food that cooks when opened
Light sticks
Epoxy glue
Commercially available antacids
Baking soda and lemon juice
Bleach
Note. If you want to select another product that utilizes a chemical reaction, you must obtain facilitator approval prior to beginning this assignment.
Prepare a 350- to 700-word paper in which you examine how your product utilizes a chemical reaction as a main feature.
Include the following items to provide a balanced description of the reaction:
Examine your product.
Explain what kind of reaction is occurring.
Describe what is occurring at the molecular level.
Explain what chemical bonds are formed or broken.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
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Chemistry: Hot Packs
Introduction
Chemicals store energy which can be released in the form of light or heat. While some chemicals can release heat energy others absorb heat energy. The chemical reactions that release energy to the environment are referred to as exothermic reactions while those that release heat energy to the surrounding are referred to as endothermic reactions (Wolke, 2014). For instance, when some chemicals dissolve in water they release heat energy while other chemicals absorb heat energy once dissolved in water. Endothermic reactions are applied in making hot packs. Athletes use hot packs in order to reduce the swelling of injuries, including joint and muscle sprains (DeLisa, Gans & Walsh, 2005). Additionally, hot packs are also used as hand warmers while skiing. The main purpose of this essay is to examine the chemistry behind hot packs in terms of the type of reaction, the thermochemistry at molecular level, and the bonds formed or broken during the reactions.
Examination of the product: Hot packs
The operation of hot packs is based on exothermic reactions. They take advantage of such reactions because they feel produce heat which makes the user to feel hot to touch. A hot pack consists of a plastic bag with two compartments - the inner and the outer compartment. The two compartments are sealed so that the contents in one compartment do not come into contact with the contents in the other compartment. The inner compartment consists of water while the outer compartment consists of a suitable chemical that releases heat when it dissolves in water. Additionally, the chemical must be an ionic compound, that is, a compound which is soluble in water - a soluble salt. The most commonly used chemicals in hot packs include calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and sodium acetate. Simple chemical hot packs consist of either calcium chloride or magnesium sulfate. As the crystals of these salts dissolve in water, a lot of heat energy is liberated. The sodium chloride of magnesium sulfate crystals dissolves into their respective ionic parts. On the other hand, some hot packs consist of finely divided metals including iron and magnesium rather than soluble salts. The various advantages of hot packs long life, minimal maintenance, low cost, (DeLisa,Gans & Walsh, 2005).
Reaction occurring
The reaction occurring in the hot packs when the chemical dissolves in water is called a redox reaction. A redox reaction, also known as an oxidation-reduction reaction, involves electron transfer. These reactions occur simultaneously in that one species undergoes oxidation while the other species undergoes reduction. In this case, oxidation refers to the increase in oxidation state while reduction refers to the decrease in oxidation state. For instance, when dissolving calcium chloride in water, the oxidation state of calcium increases from 0 to +3 while the oxidation sate chlorine decreases from 0 to -3, as shown below:
As aforementioned, the working of hot packs is based on exothermic reactions. A hot pack is made up of a large pouch that contains a dry chemical as well as another inner pouch consisting of water. The suitability of the chemical that is used to make the hot packs is determined using calorimetry. In this regard, calorimetry refers to the field of chemistry that deals with the measurement of heat. Many chemical reactions involve heat energy transfer. Hot packs involve aqueous reactions that transfer heat energy to the water, and thus warming up the water. The heat change or enthalpy change (qrxn) that occur when the chemical in the hot pack dissolves in wate...