# How different concentration of HCl on magnesium affect the enthalpy change

I had conducted an experiment where I reacted a $0.3\ \mathrm{g}$ strip of magnesium with $100\ \mathrm{mL}$ of varying concentrations of $\ce{HCl}$: $1\ \mathrm{mol/L}$, $2\ \mathrm{mol/L}$ and $3\ \mathrm{mol/L}$. From the data I collected, I noticed that the reaction with $1\ \mathrm{mol/L}$ $\ce{HCl}$ produced the most energy and the reaction with $3\ \mathrm{mol/L}$ $\ce{HCl}$ the least. I just wanted to know if my data is correct or not because I hypothesized that the $3\ \mathrm{mol/L}$ reaction would produce the most heat energy.

• Could you include the whole set up of your experiment? It would probably be good to know how you measured the released energy. Also good to know would be the actual values, you collected. Further I assume you mean the concentration of your HCl solutions are mol/L? I am not an expert in the field, I only see, that magnesium is the limiting agent, so I would assume, the reaction would produce nearly identical values. – Martin - マーチン May 29 '15 at 3:49
• Please write down the reaction you were trying to observe. Be sure to have the redox reactions complete. – ssavec May 29 '15 at 5:36

In fact all three reactions produced the same amount of heat energy and hence had the same enthalpy change. By changing the concentration of the HCl only effects the reaction rate and how much energy is produced in a certain time. However eventually, each reaction will produce the same amount of energy provided that all the Mg reacts which does happen in your experiment as HCl is in excess. The reason for this can be explained quick easily using the formula: $$\Delta H=\Delta U+pV$$ Then using the ideal gas equation, we can substitute $pV$ with $\Delta n(g)RT$. Note that the only variable that actually changes is n(g) which is the change in the number of moles of gas molecules. So the equation becomes: $$\Delta H= \Delta U + \Delta n(g)RT$$ So the only thing that effects the enthalpy change of the reaction in the change in internal energy (U) and the number of moles of gas molecules formed which are both constant for all three reactions.