The experimental procedure requires that you wash your thermometer and dry it after you measure the temperature of the NaOH solution and before you measure the temperature of the HCl solution. Why?
After measuring the temperature of NaOH solution, some NaOH remains on the tip of the thermometer. When you insert this thermometer in HCl solution (to measure temperature), some of HCl will be neutralised with NaOH. This results in an error. Also, when you wash the thermometer but do not dry it, some water will be added to HCl solution. This will increase total mass of HCl solution and the total mass of mixture of HCl and NaOH. This will cause an error in the formula
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