Which device is used to measure heat transfer in a process?

• A. Thermometer
• B. Calorimeter
• C. Barometer
• D. Hygrometer

Answer: (B)

Measuring heat transfer in a process is done with a calorimeter. It’s designed to capture the heat exchanged by a system and express it as an amount of energy, typically by watching the temperature change of a known amount of substance inside the device and applying q = m c ΔT. By knowing the mass and specific heat, you can calculate how much heat moved into or out of the system. Different types exist, like a coffee cup calorimeter for reactions in solution at constant pressure or a bomb calorimeter for reactions at constant volume, both aimed at isolating the process so the heat transfer can be quantified. A thermometer only records temperature, which isn’t the same as heat transfer without extra information; barometers measure pressure, and hygrometers measure humidity, so they don’t directly measure heat exchange.