Thermodynamics General Question

[joseph1999]

Hello,

I'm designing an experiment in order to compare the combustion of two different fuels (gasoline and vegetable oil) and test the effects on water pH when the produced gases are mixed with distilled water (should produce an acidic solution). This is to sort of simulate acid rain and compare the efficiency of different fuels/their impacts on the environment. I'm setting the amount of distilled water at a constant value for both trials, but I'm not sure how much fuel I should be burning to get the same effect. As of now, I'm thinking of using q = msΔt (inputting the specific heat capacities of the two fuels found online) and finding out what mass of the two fuels will be needed to produce the same amount of energy "q" in Joules for the same temperature change. Then, I plan on converting this mass to a volume for each of the two fuels and burning the two amounts. I want to use differing amounts of the two fuels that would release the same amount of energy, if say, they were to be used in a car engine or some other industrial application in order to determine the extent to which these fuels affect rain pH.

Does the math behind this experiment seem correct? My main objective is to find out how using the two different fuels can affect rainwater pH and simulating that by burning different amounts of fuels that release the same amount of work/energy (ex. two different quantities of fuel that allow a car to run for the same distance). I would appreciate some guidance, thank you.

Edited April 20, 2019 by joseph1999

[studiot]

2 hours ago, joseph1999 said:

I'm thinking of using q = msΔt (inputting the specific heat capacities of the two fuels found online)

Do you think the heat of combustion is the same as the specific heat ?

I suggest you look these up before proceeding.

Come back again when you have done this.