Answer:
When methane (CH4) and methanol (CH3OH) are burned, they react with oxygen (O2) to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The balanced chemical equations for the combustion of methane and methanol are:
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
CH3OH + 1.5O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
The amount of energy released during combustion depends on the amount of reactants consumed, and can be calculated using the standard enthalpy of formation of the products and reactants. The standard enthalpy of formation is the amount of energy released or absorbed when one mole of a compound is formed from its constituent elements in their standard states at a specified temperature and pressure.
Using the standard enthalpy of formation values from a chemistry data book, we can calculate the energy released by each experiment:
For the combustion of 3 mol of methane:
Energy released = (3 mol) x (-890.36 kJ/mol) = -2671.08 kJ
For the combustion of 2.5 mol of methanol:
Energy released = (2.5 mol) x (-726.74 kJ/mol) = -1816.85 kJ
Therefore, the experiment that will release the most energy is the combustion of 3 mol of methane, which will release -2671.08 kJ of energy.