Is a bomb calorimeter an isolated or closed system?

[Brian Diehl 2B]

Identify the system as open, closed, or isolated: c) a bomb calorimeter in which benzene is burned

Answer: isolated

Why is the bomb calorimeter considered an isolated system in this case? When benzene is burned, doesn't energy in the form of heat transfer out of the metal vessel and into the surroundings, making it a closed system?

[Ayaan_Ekram_2J]

Hello!

A bomb calorimeter actually prevents heat from flowing to the surroundings so it is an isolated system. I hope this helps!

[Brian Diehl 2B]

Hello!

A bomb calorimeter actually prevents heat from flowing to the surroundings so it is an isolated system. I hope this helps!

That's what I thought at first, but the process of calibrating a bomb calorimeter requires measuring a change in temperature in order to find its heat capacity. This temperature change only occurs when a supply of heat transfers from the bomb into the surroundings. Otherwise, a thermometer placed in the water wouldn't be able to read this change if no heat flow takes place.

[KPINTO 1B]

Hi! So I think that it is isolated rather than closed because is is sealed from its surroundings and causes a fixed volume which means that there is no volume-pressure work being done. Energy can not go in or out and that is why it is isolated. I think that the reaction you are talking about would still be considered isolated from the outside, but I may be wrong.

[Brooke Gushiken 1B]

Hi! I think the bomb calorimeter is an isolated system because it prevents any matter and energy from entering and/or leaving the system and escaping into the surroundings.

[Jaden Nguyen 2A]

A calorimeter will capture the heat released and this is done by the temperature change that you talk about. You can take the neutralization of an acid and base in a calorimeter for example. The neutralization releases heat into the water and the temperature of the water is the "surrounding" that you're talking about. From this we're able to calculate how much energy is released allowing you to calculate the specific heat of the calorimeter or whatever variables you need to find. The calorimeter will be an isolated system BECAUSE it traps all the energy to be able to calculate an accurate answer.

[Madison Yee 2B]

Bomb calorimeters are isolated systems because they prevent energy from flowing in or out of the system and they do not allow matter to be exchanged with the surroundings.