Name: Lab Section:

EAS 1600 Fall 2018

Lab 03: The Ideal Gas Law + Heat Transfer
Objectives
Previously, we looked at how solar radiation is linked to Earth’s Global Energy Budget.
From that global energy budget, variations in latitude lead to either a surplus or deficit in that net
energy and drives global circulation. In this lab we will look more closely at some of the
underlying principles in this circulation: the ideal gas law and heat transfer.
In this lab Parts 1 – 3 will investigate the behavior of air under different conditions –
varying pressures and temperatures. We will assume an ideal gas approximation, and will verify
change in the volume of air with pressure change at constant temperature (Boyle’s Law), and
change in the volume of air with temperature change at constant pressure (Charles’s Law). Also,
the Universal gas constant R will be determined experimentally, and compared to standard value.
Parts 4 – 6 will investigate the ways heat can be transferred between bodies. However, it
will be conducted in a format where a moderate size group (4 – 6 students) is divided into
smaller task groups of 2 students conducting different experiments that will come together for
the overall analysis and with proper attribution of each other’s work. Using the calorimetric
approach, we will verify the energy conservation principle and determine the value of the latent
heat of fusion for water. We also will determine the relative humidity of the air in the lab using
temperature measurements with “dry” and “wet” thermometers.

At the end of this lab, you should be able to:

• understand introductory concepts of kinetic theory and ideal gas;

• understand the Ideal Gas Law, recognize its different forms;
• apply Ideal Gas Law to solve problems related to Earth’s Atmosphere;
• understand the difference between heat and temperature;
• understand the ways heat can be transferred between bodies;
• be able to perform simple thermodynamic calculations related to heat transfer;
• understand the concept of relative humidity and be able to determine the relative
humidity in the room using a thermometer.

Theoretical background: Ideal Gas Law

Kinetic gas theory. The kinetic theory (also known as the collision theory) is a theory
that explains the state properties of gas, such as pressure, temperature and volume, based on the
behavior of microscopic gas particles (molecules). There are several basic assumptions that are
used in kinetic theory:
- A parcel of gas consists of molecules that are in a state of constant random motion; the
number of molecules is very large, so statistical approach can be applied.
- The distance between molecules is much larger than the size of the molecules.
- The only interaction between molecules (and between molecules and walls of the
container) is through elastic collisions; the molecules obey Newton’s laws of motion.
The behavior of gases at normal pressures and temperatures is explained very well by the kinetic
theory; an ideal gas is a gas that behaves according to kinetic theory.

Dalton’s law is a direct derivation from these principles. It states that the pressure exerted by a
mixture of gases is simply a sum of partial pressures, exerted by each of the gases, if they were
acting independently.

Boyle’s Law: Robert Boyle studied the relationship between the volume and pressure of an
ideal gas. He found that at constant temperature the pressure P of a gas is inversely proportional
to its volume V :

P×V = const.
E.g, if you double the pressure of a given amount of gas, its volume will decrease by half. For
example, at ~10 meters under water (two times the normal atmospheric pressure) there is twice
the amount of air within a diver’s lungs. The lung’s size remains the same, but the air
compresses and doubles in amount.

Charles’s Law: Charles’s Law states that under conditions of constant pressure and quantity,
the volume V of a given amount of dry ideal gas is directly proportional to the absolute
temperature T, or
V
= const.
T

Gay-Lussac's law. Gay-Lussac's law, discovered in 1802, relates pressure and temperature of
an ideal gas, provided that the amount of gas and its volume are constant:

P
P ∝ T, or = const
T

Avogadro's law states that all ideal gases, taken in equal volumes at same temperatures and
pressures, will have the same number of molecules in them. One mole of an ideal gas occupies
approximately 22.4 liters at a temperature of 25°C and at normal atmospheric pressure.

Mole (denoted as mol) is the SI unit that measures an amount of substance. One mole contains
Avogadro's number (approximately 6.022×1023) of atoms or molecules. Another way to think if
it, is a dozen describes twelve, a mol describes 6.022×1023 atoms or molecules.

Molar mass M is the mass of one mole of a substance. The unit of molar mass is grams per
mole (g/mol). Molar masses are usually calculated from standard atomic (or molecular) weights
of the substance, multiplied by the molar mass constant, 1 g/mol, which is used to keep the units
correct as the atomic weights are dimensionless. For example, the molar mass of pure Sulfur (S,
atomic weight is 32 atomic mass units) is:

molar mass (S) = 32 ×1 g/mol = 32 g/mol.

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To calculate number of mols of sulfer from a given mass, say 5 grams:

!"## !"#$%&'∙!"#$%& (!  !)

mols (S) = !"#$%  !"## = !"#$%  !!""
= (!"  !/!"#) = 0.165  mol  (S)     (Eq.1)

The Ideal Gas Law. The Ideal Gas law, first written in 1834 by Emil Clapeyron, is the
combination of Boyle's Law, Charles’s Law and Avogadro's Law. Expressed mathematically, the
Ideal Gas Law relates all 3 state variables and the absolute quantity of gas:
PV = nRT, (Eq. 2)
where P is pressure; V is volume; n is the number of moles of gas; R is the Universal gas
constant (R= 8.31 J · K-1 · mol-1 ), and T is the absolute temperature (K).
Alternative forms of the Ideal Gas Law: besides the form shown above, the ideal gas law can
be expressed in several other ways:
P = ρ R*T, or PV = NkT,
where ρ - density; R* - specific gas constant equal to R/M (for the dry air Rair* ≈ 287 J kg-1 K-1);
N – number of molecules; k - Boltzmann's constant, k =1.38×10-23 J/K.

Online exercises/activities
For a deeper review of the kinetic theory, take a look at

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/ktcon.html

This page contains an interactive chart that links together kinetic theory concepts. Clicking on
boxes with concepts will bring you to the detailed explanation page with formulas, graphs and
examples.

Theoretical background: Heat Transfer

The laws of thermodynamics state that heat is transferred from hot objects to cold objects
(unless work is done by external forces on the system). A common unit for measuring heat is
calorie (cal). This is not the same as the food calories. In the food industry, what they call a
calorie is actually 1 Kcal = 1000 cal. One calorie of heat will increase the temperature of 1 gram
of water by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin) at constant pressure. Another (standard) unit for heat
is also the unit for energy itself, the Joule. These units can be easily converted back and forth
using the following ratio: 1 cal = 4.184 J.
There are several ways by which heat can be transferred (also illustrated in figure 1):
1) via conduction;
2) via radiation (this process is studied in the Radiation Lab);
3) via convection;
4) via phase change (vaporization, melting, etc.)

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 If your coffee is too hot, you might add a little cold milk…or wait. In the first case, the coffee
transfers thermal energy to the cold milk by conduction until they are both at the same
temperature. If you wait, hot coffee radiates in infrared, and the heat is transferred to the
surroundings. At the same time air in the room circulates by the coffee mug’s walls and top,
which removes heat through convection. Some liquid evaporates (recall steam coming from the
fresh-brewed cup) and removes heat through the latent heat of vaporization.

Figure 1. Ways to transfer heat: (a) radiation; (b) conduction; (c) convection.

All four ways of heat transfer are utilized by the human body to get rid of excessive heat on a
summer day: we perspire, we stay in front of the fan, we lean against a cool wall, and we radiate
in infrared!
When an object absorbs heat, its temperature increases. The degree to which the temperature
increases depends on the specific heat capacity, Cs, of the object. Specific heat capacity of a
solid or liquid is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of
a substance by one degree Kelvin. As heat capacity increases, more heat is necessary to reach a
specified temperature increase. For vapors and gases there are two definitions:

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Cp = specific heat capacity at constant pressure, and
Cv = specific heat capacity at constant volume.
Specific heat capacity at constant pressure Cp is defined as the amount of heat required to
raise the temperature of 1 g of the substance by 1 K, at a constant pressure. Specific heat capacity
Cv is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of the substance by 1
K, while keeping the volume of the substance constant.
As it was mentioned above, when a warm object and a cold object come into contact,
heat is transferred from the warm object to the cold one. The First law of thermodynamics states
that total energy of the closed system, q, is conserved. This can be written as (note the sign!):

qgained + qlost = 0, or qgained = - qlost (Eq. 3)

(This equation is actually a simplification of the First Law of thermodynamics, neglecting work
and internal energy variation). The amount of heat absorbed or transferred can be expressed as

qlost, gained = mCs Δ T (Eq. 4)

Where m - mass (g); Cs - specific heat capacity (JK-1g-1), for water Cs is 4.184 JK-1g-1 ; Δ T -
temperature change : Δ T = Tequilibrium_or_final - Tinitial . (Note that Δ T is the same whether you are
working in °C or K).
In general, the specific latent heat, or heat of transformation, is designated by the letter L and
represents the heat absorbed or released per unit mass during a phase change. The amount of
heat q, absorbed or released by a mass m, is equal to:

q = L× m (Eq. 5)

Therefore, for a solid mass m at its melting point temperature, the amount of energy needed to
change phase from solid into liquid is:

q = Lf × m, (Eq. 6)

where Lf is the latent heat of fusion for the substance. It is called latent heat because it is
associated with the phase state of the object, but not with its sensible temperature. The energy
to change the phase of the object comes from its surroundings.
When water evaporates, it changes state from liquid to gas and the energy is absorbed from its
surroundings. Similar to the melting, the energy required for the evaporation is proportional to
the mass m:

q = Lv × m , (Eq. 7)

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where Lv is the specific latent heat of vaporization for the substance. For water at 100 oC, Lv =
540 cal/g or 2260 kJ/kg.

Figure 2. Phase transitions. The energy should be added to the system for melting, vaporization
and sublimation to occur (red arrows), while the energy is released by the system during
deposition, freezing and condensation (blue arrows). The numbers shown are the approximate
number of calories either absorbed or released during the phase change per 1 gram of water.

Water can (and does) evaporate at temperatures less than 100 oC and, by evaporating, absorbs
heat from its surroundings. Therefore, evaporation has a net cooling effect on its surroundings.
This is why we sweat when we are hot, so that the body can cool. The degree of cooling, which is
directly related to the rate of evaporation, can be measured directly with a thermometer. The
rate of evaporation depends on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. Humidity is a
measure of water vapor content in the air; relative humidity is defined as the concentration of
water vapor in an air parcel divided by the concentration that would be present if the air parcel
were 100 % saturated with water vapor.
If the ambient air has a high relative humidity, then it contains a lot of moisture and, therefore,
evaporation is less favorable (the rate of evaporation is lower).

Online exercises/activities
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/heatra.html - on this page you can find
interactive review of different aspects of thermodynamics, including basic principles of heat
transfer, heat engines and examples of thermodynamic processes in everyday life.
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=SCE304 - animation of basic heat
transfer principles.

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 PART 1 – 3: IDEAL GAS LAW
Safety precautions
There are several things to remember in order to stay safe during this lab:

- Please be careful with glass beakers during the lab.

- There should be no water spills on the table where the equipment is set up. Clean all
spills immediately.
- Hot water is used in the experiment. Please be careful pouring hot water, as it can cause
burns if spilled on the skin. To fill the beaker with hot water, put the beaker on the lab
table and then slowly pour the water from the electric kettle.

Part 1 - Boyle’s Law

Equipment
The equipment for this experiment consists of a syringe held between two wooden blocks,
and two weights, 500 g and 1 kg. The syringe is sealed by putting a small plastic plug at the end.

Figure 1. Experiment set-up for Part 1 - Boyle’s Law.

Procedure:
1. Read the safety precautions before starting the lab.
2. Record the room temperature.
3. Record the weight in kg of the cap (wooden block, 151 g) and the total weights for column 4
of Table 1.
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4. Turn the syringe+base block assembly so the syringe is positioned horizontally and draw 35
cm3 (1 ml = 1 cm3) of air into the syringe, (the plug should be removed to allow the air in)
and then replace and tighten slightly the black plastic plug at the end of the syringe.
5. Place the assembly on the lab table. Make sure the glass beaker and thermometer are as far
away as possible (to prevent breaking).
6. Install the upper (cap) wooden block on top of the syringe assembly, such that the plunger
end is inserted into the slot of the cap block.
7. The top wooden block works as the smallest weight now. Tap the syringe on the side lightly,
to compensate for a piston-to-wall friction. Record the volume (in V1 column) and weight of
the wooden block into the second row of Table 1.
8. Place the 500 g weight on the top block. After placing the weight, record the volume of air in
the syringe and the total weight applied to the piston. Tapping the syringe lightly will help
reduce errors due to friction. Make sure the weight is not going to fall off the upper block
when you are tapping!
9. Repeat the previous step with 1 kg weight (think Indiana Jones style), and then with both 500
g and 1 kg weights. Each time, record the volume of air in the syringe and total mass applied
to the piston.
10. After all the weights have been added, remove them one by one, recording the volume (in V2
column) in the corresponding row, as before. Tapping the syringe lightly will help reduce
errors due to friction.

Data
Temperature of the room:

Table 1. (4 Pts)
V1, cm3 V2, cm3 V=(V1+V2)/2, cm3 Total weight, kg Note
35 35 35 0 Initial volume

0.151 Upper block

Upper block +
500g
Upper block +
1000g
Upper block +
500g+1000g

Analysis of Measurement Results

Question 1. The diameter of the inside of the syringe barrel is 2.6 cm. Calculate the syringe cross-
sectional area A, using the formula A=π r2 where r is 1/2 of the diameter. (1 pt)

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The area of the syringe = ___________________________

Question 2. Calculate the number of moles of air, n, present in the syringe at the beginning of
your experiment. In your calculations use the following values: molecular weight of air = 28.96
g/mole and the density of air under standard conditions =1.23 kg/m3. Show your work and be
careful with units! Hint; if you’re stuck – use unit/dimoensional analysis, or see (Eq 1) (2 pts)

Fill in Table 2:
• Convert your average volume, V, in Table 1 from cm3 to m3 for column 1.
• Calculate the force. F, exerted by the added mass(es) using 𝐹 = 𝑚 ∙ 𝑎, where a is the
acceleration due to gravity, ag, for column 2.
• Calculate the pressure, P, using the relationship: P = F/A + P0 , where A is the area of
the syringe barrel, and P0 is atmospheric pressure (remember, the atmospheric pressure
is present all the time during your experiment !!!).
• Calculate P∙V (Boyle’s Law).
• Calculate T∙n for column 5.
• Calculate the Universal Gas Constant, R, in the last column.

(For reference, ag = 9.81 m/s2 ; 1Pa = 1 N/m2 = 1 kg·m-1·s-2 ; 1 ml = 1 cm3 = 10-6 m3; Standard
atmospheric pressure is 101325 Pa = 101.325 kPa =1013.25 hPa = 1013.25 mbar.)

Table 2. (6 Pts)

Volume Pressure, P∙V, [N∙m = J] T∙n 𝑷∙𝑽

Force F, [N] 𝑹=  
V, [m3] [Pa] (Boyle’s Law) [K∙mol] 𝑻∙𝒏

In Excel, add a data column and calculate 1/P for each of the 5 measurements and transfer the
volume, V, from Table 2 (m3) into a second column. Next, plot V versus 1/P for each data point
in Excel using a scatter plot, add a best fit trendline with an intercept of zero (select data à
right-click for options à Add Trendline) and trendline equation (select data à options). Be sure

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to label your axes and title the graph Boyle’s Law. Have your TA sign off on your plot (4 pts –
need data, labeled axes, title, trendline, and trendline eq)

______________

Question 3. What are the possible reasons for your results (product of P and V) to be different
from the theory? Describe what imperfections of the equipment or procedure did affect your
experiment results? (1 pt)

Question 4. How has the density of air inside the syringe changed? Note: assume the
temperature change is negligible and recall that density is mass/volume (1 pt)

Part 2 - Charles’s Law

Equipment
The equipment for this experiment consists of a 500-ml glass beaker, a syringe held in a beaker
with a rectangular wooden block, hot water, and a thermometer. The syringe can be sealed by
putting a small plastic plug at the end.

Figure 2. Experiment set-up. Part 2 - Charles’s Law.

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Procedure:
1. The lab instructor will prepare the hot water (~ 80 °C) in the electric kettle. Fill your
glass beaker with hot water up to the 450 ml mark. Please be careful not to burn yourself.
2. Draw 40 cm3 of air into the syringe and place the plug at the end. Make sure there is no
water inside of the syringe, as this can affect your measurements.
3. Place the thermometer into the smaller hole of the rectangular block.
4. Place the syringe and the thermometer into the hot water, such that the rectangular block
would sit on the rim of the beaker as a support. Allow 3-4 minutes for equilibration and
then take a temperature and volume reading.
5. Record the volume in the syringe and the temperature in Table 3.
6. To get an accurate volume measurement, first push on the piston slightly and then release
it. Record the volume (V1). Then, pull back on the piston slightly and release it. Record
this second volume (V2) and the average of the two volumes. One of the team members
should hold the beaker and wooden block securely, while the other student takes the
measurements.
7. Allow the water to cool and take successive volume and temperature readings every ~10
°C. Write your results in Table 3. To speed up the cooling, you can add cold water into
the beaker when the temperature is below 50 °C. Remove the excess water using another
syringe with a tube extension.

Measurement Results
Table 3. (4 Pts)
V1, [cm3] V2, [cm3] V=(V1+V2)/2, [cm3] V=(V1+V2)/2, [m3] T , [°C] T, [K]

Analysis of measurement results

In Excel, make a plot (scatter) of the dependence of volume, V, on temperature T (temperature
should be in Kelvin and volume in m3), and label your axes.

Question 5. What kind of function describes the dependence of V (T) in this experiment?
Include both the equation form and the function type. (1 pts).

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Add an appropriate trendline to the plot, and the equation for that trendline. Have your TA sign
off on your plot (4 pts – need data, labeled axes, trendline, and trendline eq).

______________

Question 6. Calculate the number of moles of air, n, present in the syringe at the beginning of
your experiment. In your calculations use the following values: molecular weight of air = 28.96
g/mole and the density of air =1.15 kg/m3. (2 pts)

Question 7. How many grams does a mole of some gas weigh? Circle one: (1 pt).

A. The number of grams is equal to Avogadro’s number.

B. The number of grams will depend on the temperature and pressure.
C. The number of grams will be equal to the volume of gas in liters divided by 22.4 .
D. The number of grams will be equal to the standard molecular weight of gas.
E. The number of grams will be constant for any gas and equal to R, universal gas constant.\

Part 3 – Ideal Gas Behavior (computer simulation)

This portion will act to provide a somewhat more visual and idealized accompaniment to the
experimental work you’ve just completed while the experimental parts act to validate the
simulation.

Procedure:
Open the website with simulation at this address:
https://teachchemistry.org/periodical/issues/november-2015/gas-laws
In this simulation you can control the pressure (P), temperature (T), and number of gas
molecules (N) using the control arrows. The volume (V) of the gas will be determined by these
three variables. The volume will change as you alter T or P.

Experiment 3.1 Boyle’s Law, Constant temperature (T) and number of molecules (N)

The temp is set at 298 K. Change the pressure as given in the data table below and record the
resultant volume of the gas.

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Table 4. (1 pts)

Pressure (atm) Volume (L)

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5

Construct a graph of this data in Excel: enter the pressure and volume values in two columns and
construct a scatter plot; add a trendline and trendline equation. Have your TA sign off on your
plot (4 pts – need data, labeled axes, trendline, and trendline eq).

______________

Calculations and Questions:

Question 8. How does your modeled simulation results compare with your experimental results
from Part 1? (Note that your plot in Part 1 accounts for part of the relationship by plotting 1/P
instead of just P) (2 pts)

Experiment 3.2: Charles’ Law, Constant pressure (P) and number of molecules (N)

Using the Charles’ law tab, set the change the temperature as given in the data table below and
record the resultant volume of the gas.

Table 5. (1 pt)
Temperature (K) Volume (L)
278
288
298
308
318
328
338
348

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Construct a graph of this data: enter the temperature and volume values in two columns and
construct a scatter plot; add a trendline and trendline equation. Have your TA sign off on your
plot (4 pts – need data, labeled axes, trendline, and trendline eq).

______________
Calculations and questions :

Question 9. How does your modeled simulation results compare with your experimental results
from Part 2? (1 pts)

Conclusions on and Application of the Ideal Gas Law

Question 10. In your own words, describe what atmospheric pressure is. (1 pts)

Question 11. Knowing that gravity decreases going up into the atmosphere (due to distance
away from Earth’s center of mass), briefly describe what should happen to atmospheric density
and why. (2 pts)

Question 12. If temperatures are higher from direct solar radiation near the equator compared
with the polar regions, describe the effect on atmospheric density (assuming roughly equivalent
air pressures – a simplification, but an acceptable first-order approximation). (2 pts)

PART 4 – 6: HEAT TRANSFER

For this part of the lab, work in groups of 4 – 6 students to divide up the following
experimental work into task groups. You may wish to wait and see which task group finishes
fist to assign the third part, or simply complete the third part together. You will utilize the results
of your groupmates, attributing the work appropriately, but complete the analysis and
conclusions on your own (you may discuss to encourage thinking about the problems, but this
portion should ultimately be in your own words). Make sure to discuss the experiment and
results to each task group, both to better your own understanding, and to make sure the others in
your group understand the work that went into your results.

Safety precautions
- Caution: water used for this experiment is hot and can cause burns if spilled on skin.
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- Clean all spills immediately.
- To fill the calorimeter with hot water, put the calorimeter on the lab table, hold it, and slowly
pour the water from the electric kettle. Check the calorimeters before the experiment – look
if they are in a good condition with no cracks or holes. If your calorimeter is in poor
condition, report to the lab instructor immediately.
- Please read through all the following steps before starting.

Part 4. Energy Transfer

Student Attribution: (1 pts) List the students in your group completing this experiment
(required for credit on section)

In the first part of this lab exercise, you will investigate how energy is conserved during the
transfer of heat. Two quantities of water, each of known temperature and mass, will be mixed
together and the final equilibrium temperature will be measured.
The amount of energy gained by the water that became warmer should equal the amount of
energy lost by the water that cooled down.

Procedures:
1. Prepare two large 500-ml Styrofoam cups (these cups will act as your calorimeters #1 and
#2). The mass of each empty calorimeter is provided for you in Table 6 (at the end of this
manual). Prepare two small (375mL) Styrofoam cups, #1 about 1/2 full with hot water and
#2 full of crushed ice.
2. Pour approximately 150…160 ml of cold tap water into calorimeter #1. Use electronic
scales to determine the exact weight of the water.
3. Measure the temperature of the water in the calorimeter. Then, by adding either hot or
cold water or ice, bring the temperature of the water exactly to 20 °C. Mix your sample
carefully to ensure uniform temperature distribution.
4. Put the calorimeter on the electronic scales and remove the excess water with the plastic
pipette, bringing the weight of the water in the calorimeter to 150 g. Record the mass and
the temperature of your sample in Table 6.
5. Fill calorimeter #2 with slightly more than 200 ml of hot water. Be careful not to spill
the water and not to burn yourself.
6. Measure the temperature of hot water and make sure it’s at or little above 70° C. You will
have to hold the calorimeter to prevent it from tipping over when measuring the
temperature or mixing the water.
7. Put the calorimeter on the electronic scales and remove the excess water with a plastic
pipette, bringing the weight of the water in the calorimeter to 200 g.
8. Now wait (if necessary) until the water cools down to 70° C. While measuring the
temperature, mix your sample carefully to ensure the uniform temperature distribution
within your calorimeter. Hold the calorimeter to prevent it from tipping over.
9. Record the mass and the temperature of your sample into the Table 6.
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 10. Immediately pour the content of calorimeter #1 (cold water) into calorimeter #2 (NOT
VICE VERSA!) and stir with the stir rod until the temperature stops changing. Record
the equilibrium temperature of the mixture.
11. Determine the mass of the combined water sample (use the electronic scale with the
larger weight limit, if necessary). Record the mass in the Table 6.

Part II. Latent Heat of Fusion

Student Attribution: (1 pt) List the students in your group completing this experiment
(required for credit on section)

In the second part of this lab exercise, you will melt a known amount of ice in warm water and
calculate the heat of fusion of the ice using a heat balance equation.

Procedures:

1. Prepare a calorimeter with about 200 g of hot water. Record the mass of the water and its
temperature in Table 7.
2. Place approximately 100 g of ice (note that ice should be at 0 °C temperature) into the
calorimeter and carefully stir with the stir rod until all the ice melts. Do not allow water to
overflow from the calorimeter.
3. Record the final temperature and mass of the water in the calorimeter (in Table 7).
4. Calculate the mass of water added by the ice (i.e. obtain the exact mass of the melted ice).
Record it in Table 7.

Part III. Evaporative Cooling: Using the Wet-Bulb Temperature

to Determine Relative Humidity
Student Attribution: (1 pt) List the students in your group completing this experiment
(required for credit on section)

In this section you will use the thermometer to determine the relative humidity of the air in the lab.

Procedures:
1. Record the room temperature in Table 8. This temperature is called the dry-bulb temperature.
2. Wrap a small piece of paper towel around the bulb of the thermometer and secure it with a
rubber band. Place this thermometer in a Styrofoam cup and mix warm and cool water with
the thermometer until you have room temperature water.
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3. Now remove the thermometer from the water and hold it in front of the fan for several
minutes, until the temperature reaches equilibrium (this shouldn't be more than 5 minutes).
Be careful not to drop or break the thermometer. Read the temperature every 30 seconds until
it no longer changes. Record this equilibrium temperature. This temperature is called the wet-
bulb temperature.

Measurement Results
Table 6. Energy Transfer (4 pts)
Calorimeter #1
Mass of calorimeter (g) 5
Mass of water (g)
Initial temperature of water (°C)
Calorimeter #2
Mass of calorimeter (g) 5
Mass of water (g)
Initial temperature of water (°C)
Mass of combined water sample (g)
Final equilibrium temperature of water (°C)

Table 7. Latent Heat (3 pts)

Mass of water (g)
Mass of ice (g)
Initial temperature of water (°C)
Initial temperature of ice (°C) Assume 0°C
Final mass of water (including melted ice) (g)
Final temperature of water (°C)

Table 8. Evaporative Cooling (2 pts)

Dry bulb temperature (°C)
Wet bulb temperature (°C)

Analysis of the measurement results

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The following questions refer to the experiment in Part 4 (individual work).
Question 13. Using equation (4) and data from your measurements (mass, initial and equilibrium
temperatures), calculate the energy lost (qlost) by the hot water originally in calorimeter #2 after it
was mixed with cold water from calorimeter #1. (2 pts) Hint: to get the correct sign of the
energy, make sure you use the proper Tequilibrium and Tinitial.

Question 14. Using equation (4) and data from your measurements (mass, initial and
equilibrium temperatures), calculate the energy gained (qgained) by the cold water originally in
calorimeter #1 after it was mixed with hot water from calorimeter #2. (2 pts)

Question 15. Calculate the difference between absolute values of gained and lost energies. (1
pt)

Question 16. Discuss the difference between absolute values of gained and lost energies. Is this
difference significant and where might it come from? (2 pts).

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Question 17. Using only the mass and initial temperature of the samples in this experiment
(assume they were exactly 150 g and 20° C for sample #1; 200 g and 70° C for sample #2)
calculate the (theoretical) temperature water would have after two samples are mixed together.
Give answer in °C. (2 pts)

The following questions refer to the experiment in Part 5 (Individual work).

Question 18. In the experiment for Part 5, where does the energy to melt the ice come from? (1
pts).

Question 19. List all (at least 2) thermodynamic (heat transfer) processes that took place in this
experiment (Part 5). (1 pts).

Question 20. Based on this list of the processes in your experiment (Part 2), write an energy
balance equation that includes the transfer of heat by all components of your system and latent
heat changes. Use this equation to calculate the latent heat of fusion, Lf, for water. Give an
answer for the value of Lf that you have found. Make sure to indicate units. (3 pts)

Question 21. How does this compare to the known value of 333.7 kJ/kg (333.7 J/g)? (1 pts)

The following questions refer to the experiment in Part 5 (Individual work).

Question 22. Which temperature is higher, dry-bulb or wet-bulb? (1 pt)

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Question 23. Explain why there is a difference between the dry-bulb and the wet-bulb
temperatures? At what conditions dry-bulb and the wet-bulb temperatures would be the same?
(2 pts)

Conclusions on and Application of Heat Transfer

Question 24. Think about what is happening when very cold wind is blowing above the surface
of the lake and ice is forming on the surface of the water. Describe thermodynamical processes
that are happening there (2 pts).

Question 25. Using the provided reference relative humidity data (Table 9 below), determine
the relative humidity of the air in the lab, based on your temperature readings. (1 pt)

Question 26. When water condenses from gas to the liquid phase (as in clouds, for example),
what happens to the temperature of the environment? Why? (2 pts)

Question 27. Convection tends to develop when there is a temperature difference between air
parcels. Will changes in energy due to water condensation from gas to the liquid phase promote or
suppress convection? Explain. (2 points)

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Question 28. In desert the humidity is very low, while in tropical forest the humidity is high.
Would you expect higher or lower temperature swings between day and night in desert than in
rainforest? Explain. (2 pts)

Conclusion Synthesis
Question 29. Describe a few key ways in which the ideal gas law and heat transfer can influence
both global circulation and local atmospheric conditions (temperature, pressure, etc.) (6 pts)

Extra Credit Question: Give 3 examples of important heat transfer processes that you
encounter in everyday life. (3 pts)

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Table 9.
Relative Humidity Table
TDryBulb, °C
Twb,°C 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
5 12% 7% 3% 0%
6 19% 14% 10% 6% 3% 0%
7 27% 22% 17% 13% 9% 5% 2% 0%
8 35% 29% 24% 19% 15% 11% 8% 5% 2% 0%
9 44% 37% 31% 26% 22% 17% 14% 10% 7% 5% 2% 0%
10 52% 45% 39% 33% 28% 24% 19% 16% 12% 9% 7% 4% 2% 0%
11 61% 54% 47% 41% 35% 30% 26% 21% 18% 15% 12% 9% 6% 4% 2% 1%
12 70% 62% 55% 48% 42% 37% 32% 27% 23% 20% 16% 14% 11% 8% 6% 4%
13 80% 71% 63% 56% 50% 44% 38% 34% 29% 25% 22% 18% 15% 13% 10% 8%
14 90% 80% 72% 64% 57% 51% 45% 40% 35% 31% 27% 23% 20% 17% 14% 12%
15 100% 90% 81% 73% 65% 58% 52% 47% 41% 37% 32% 28% 25% 22% 19% 16%
16 100% 90% 81% 73% 66% 59% 53% 48% 43% 38% 34% 30% 26% 23% 20%
17 100% 91% 82% 74% 67% 60% 54% 49% 44% 39% 35% 31% 28% 25%
18 100% 91% 82% 75% 68% 61% 55% 50% 45% 41% 37% 33% 29%
19 100% 91% 83% 75% 68% 62% 56% 51% 46% 42% 38% 34%
20 100% 91% 83% 76% 69% 63% 57% 52% 47% 43% 39%
21 100% 91% 84% 76% 70% 64% 58% 53% 48% 44%
22 100% 92% 84% 77% 70% 65% 59% 54% 49%
23 100% 92% 84% 77% 71% 65% 60% 55%
24 100% 92% 85% 78% 72% 66% 61%
25 100% 92% 85% 78% 72% 67%
26 100% 92% 85% 79% 73%
27 100% 92% 86% 79%
28 100% 93% 86%
29 100% 93%
30 100%

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