The major sources of error are the excess of the foil, the orifice that the syringe will

create, and the proper execution of the procedure. It would be necessary for the
flask to be dry so that the water from washings wont affect the point of
volatilization and the average molar mass of the sample that will be obtained.
Presence of moisture might also affect the weight of the condensate. Compounds
that has a boiling point higher than80 or than the boiling point of water such as
isobutyl alcohol is not suitable as a sample compound for the determination of
molar mass by vapor-density method because it would be tedious sand has a higher
chance of accumulation of water vapor within the cover. Excess foil would allow
accumulation of water vapor from the hot water bath at the side of the Erlenmeyer
flask which would affect the weight of the sample together with the covered
Erlenmeyer flask. If the flask was not dried before the final weighing with the
condensed vapor inside, it would affect the condensate of the sample by increasing
the mass of the vapor. If the flask was removed from the water bath before the
vapor had reached the temperature of the boiling point, the goal would not be met
due that all of the air would not be displaced inside the flask. Thus, the mass of
vapor in this situation would be higher than that of the situation where air would all
be displaced because at the temperature near the condensation point, the
molecules of air namely H2, N2, O2 and alike will easily react with the sample
compound resulting to additional side products

FLASK + WATER
143.72
149.51
147.63
145.90
154.61
148.82
143.78
144.21
150.67
144.96

g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g

The average mass = 147.38 g at 20 degrees C. The density of H2O at 20 C =

0.9982 g/mL, then
average volume of flask = 147.38 g / 0.9982 g/mL = 147.65 mL

It is likely that the unknown substance is Cyclohexane because the average of molar
mass from the three trials is 99.8 g/mol, and the largest molar mass of the possible
substances is 84 g/mol.