Name: Rafiyqa Nicholas

TITLE: Volume of a drop of water

AIM: To determine the average volume of a drop of water using a 50ml burette.

APPARATUS:
1- 50ml burette
1- 75mm purex funnel
1- 10ml measuring cylinder
1- retort stand,
1- wash bottle
1- 100ml beaker,
1- dropper

MATERIALS:
distilled water

THEORY: Volume is an amount of space, in three dimensions, that a sample of

matter occupies. The number and the phase of the molecules in the sample primarily
determine the volume of a substance. Average is the result obtained by adding two
or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts.
Average is used to determine the volume of water in this experiment as this would
reduce the chances of an error occurring and improve the precision of the value
obtained. Using the instruments provided, this experiment seeks to determine what
the average volume of a drop is in milliliters. Theoretically the volume of a drop
of water is 0.05ml.

DIAGRAM SHOWING THE SET-UP OF THE APPARATUS

METHOD:

1. All instruments were washed with distilled water before using.

2. The burette was fixed to the retort stand so that it was parallel and vertical.
The tap was closed so that it was in a horizontal direction.
3. A beaker filled with water and a funnel was used to fill the burette pass it zero
mark.
4. A beaker was placed below the burette to allow the excess water to run off
until it reached the zero mark correct to 0.05ml.
5. This value was recorded as the initial value.
6. Thirty (30) drops were carefully dispensed from the burette and the value was
recorded as the final reading correct to 0.05ml.
7. Steps 3 to 6 were repeated using 60 and 90 drops.

RESULTS: TABLE 1 SHOWING THE VOLUMES OF 30, 60, AND 90 DROPS

OF WATER RESPECTFULLY.

Number of Drops 30 60 90
Final Reading/ ml 1.25 2.50 3.75
Initial Reading/ ml 0.00 0.00 0.00
Volume of water 1.25 2.50 3.75
used/ ml
Sample calculation

30 drops= Final- Initial Readings

= 1.25 ml - 0.00ml
= 1.25 ml

Average volume at 30 drops = Final Volumenumber of drops

= 1.25ml /30
= 0.04 ml

Average volume at 60 drops = 2.50 ml / 60

= 0.04 ml

Average volume at 90 drops = 3.75 ml / 90

= 0.04 ml

Average Volume of water = 0.04 ml + 0.04 ml + 0.04 ml / 3

= 0.04 ml

Gradient of graph= y2-y1/x2-x1

= 3.55ml- 0.25ml / 85-6
= 3.3 / 79ml
= 0.04 ml
PRECAUTIONS:
The Initial and Final Volume of water in the burette was read at eye level.
This was done so as to avoid parallax error.
The burette was observed to ensure that there were no bubbles present.

SOURCES OF ERRORS:
Systematic errors included, that not all apparatus are calibrated the same,
resulting in different readings.
Theoretically as water leaves the burette, the volume decreases and the
pressure also decreases. This phenomenon can affect droplet size that comes
out from the burette to vary as volume decreases.

DISCUSSION: The average volume of a drop of water was measured during this
experiment. Three readings were generated at 30, 60 and 90 drops respectfully.
These readings were taken at eye level to prevent parallax errors. Table 1.0 illustrates
the final reading values which were 1.25 ml, 2.50 ml and 3.75 ml respectfully. These
values were then divided by the number of drops to derive at the average volume
which was illustrated in the calculations. The values were summed an divided by
three to give a value of 0.04 ml as the average volume of a drop of water.
Theoretically the average volume of a drop of water was found to be 0.05 ml. There
were experimental errors and limitations which caused the volume of a drop of water
to deviate from 0.05ml.

Graphically the data in table 1.0 was plotted to produce a straight line graph
illustrating the final volume reading against the number of drops. It can be seen from
graph 1, that as the number of drops increased as the volume increased exponentially.
The gradient of the graph was calculated to be 0.04ml. Each time the experiment
was performed, a value of 0.04ml was obtained. This seem to suggest that the
experiment is precise, the value is reliable and reproducible. By repeating the
experiment at 60 drops and 90 drops, it confirmed that the results obtained when the
experiment was performed initially at 30 drops.

CONCLUSION: The volume of a drop of water was found to be 0.04ml within the
limits of experimental errors.