What is a Coffee Cup Calorimeter?
A Coffee Cup Calorimeter is a device used in the lab for helping find enthalpy changes in reactions where one of the reactants is a solution. A Coffee Cup Calorimeter is easy to make and is inexpensive and very efficient. How can I make one? All you really need is two styrofoam cups and a thermometer. Place the water in one cup and place the thermometer in it. When you add your other reactant to the water, cover the cup with a lid of some sort or place the other cup upside down on top of it. We cover the first cup to make sure as little heat as possible escapes.
