Question
State and explain the basic principle of calorimetry.
Answer
The basic principle of calorimetry is that the heat lost by a hot body is equal to the heat gained by a cold body when they are placed in contact in an insulated system. This is a consequence of the law of conservation of energy.
In short, heat lost = heat gained.
This principle is used to measure the heat capacity of materials and the enthalpy of reactions.
