... out 3 times for each fuel, and an average value is taken. A defined amount of alcohol will be burned using a spirit lamp, to measure the energy change by measuring the change in water temp. As well as not wasting energy in the heating of the container, heat must be stopped from escaping around the edges of the container. To do this I would have to insulate the edge of the container by using the lid. I predict that there would be a change in the amount of energy given off, getting greater, the more carbon atoms in the fuel, because the more there are, the more bonds to be made, thus producing more energy. The reactions that will take place are strongly exothermic, that is why they produce a colored flame. All of the reactions involve the alcohol and oxygen in the air reacting together to form water ...

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