University of South Carolina

CHEM 141 Fall 2021

Laboratory 7: Gas Laws

Table 1. Materials
Burner
Mixture containing KClO3
25-mL Syringe with tubing
100-mL graduated cylinder
Gas Law Apparatus (tubing & stoppers)

Objectives:
1. Experimentally determine the value of the ideal gas constant (R).
2. Experimentally determine the relationship between gas pressure and gas volume.
3. Experimentally determine the relationship between gas temperature and gas
pressure.

References:
Tro, N.; Chemistry: Structure and Properties, 5th ed., Pearson Education, Inc, 2020.

Introduction:
In Experiment 1, you will determine the value of the ideal gas constant, R. You will
compare the value you find in your experiment to the generally accepted value.
To accomplish this goal, you will thermally decompose a mixture that contains
potassium chlorate, KClO3. The equation for the reaction is:
2KClO3(s) heat
→ 2KCl(s) + 3O2(g) (Eqn 1)
You will collect the oxygen produced by this reaction in a flask (Fig 1) and determine
that volume (V) of oxygen by water displacement. In accordance with the Law of Mass
Conservation, you will determine the moles (n) of oxygen by comparing the initial and
final mass of the mixture, with the understanding that the missing mass is due to the
oxygen produced by the reaction. The pressure (P) is calculated, taking into account the
pressure of the water vapor (Table 2), and the temperature (T) is measured with the
Vernier LabQuestTM thermistor. Using this data, the ideal gas constant (R) can be
determined.
As a follow-on to this experiment, you will determine the mass percent of KClO3(s) in
your original sample. Each sample is composed of a mixture of KCl(s), KClO3(s), and
MnO2(s). MnO2(s) is a catalyst which speeds up the rate of reaction but is not
decomposed upon heating. The KCl(s) is an inert filler material. Knowledge of reaction
stoichiometry (Eqn 1) will permit you to calculate the mass percent of KClO3(s) in your
sample from your experimental data.
In Experiment 2, you will determine the relationship between pressure and volume in
a qualitative experiment. You will determine the gas law being displayed and describe
the effect of pressure changes/volume changes using the determined gas law.

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CHEM 141 Fall 2021

Procedure:
Experiment 1. Read and understand the entire experiment before starting. You will
need the starting mass of the mixture and the final mass of the residue, which will be
firmly stuck to the test tube at the end of the experiment.

1. Obtain a clean/dry 16x100mm test tube. Take the weight of the clean, empty test
tube.

2. Obtain between 0.4 – 0.5 g of the KClO3 mixture in your clean/dry test tube (Record
the mass obtained). KClO3 is corrosive to metal; if you spill any of the mixture on the
balance, sweep it up immediately.

3. Apparatus setup (Fig 1): Start with a Florence flask 3/4ths filled with water (Longer
glass rod in the stopper should be below the water and the shorter rod should be
above the water when sealed) and 500 mL beaker filled with ~50mL of water.

Fig 1. Oxygen Displacement Apparatus

4. When completing Step 5, be ready to clamp the tubing!!!!

5. Using a 25 mL syringe, push air into the Florence flask from the smaller rubber
stopper (insert the syringe into the stopper with the plunger pulled fully back), blow all
air out of the inlet hose. Once the water begins to freely flow from the Florence flask to
the beaker, CLAMP THE TUBING!

6. If the beaker is too filled or too much water left the Florence flask, you can back fill
the flask by raising your beaker above the Flask and briefly unclamping the tubing.
Once enough water has re-entered the flask, clamp the tubing once again.

7. Place the test tube with your weighed sample over the rubber stopper just enough to
create a seal. If the tube is on too tight it will break, if it is on too loose the experiment
will not work.

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CHEM 141 Fall 2021

8. Once the test tube is on the stopper and secured with a clamp, unclamp the tubing.
Water should begin to flow briefly and then cease to flow. If this happens, then your
system is air-tight.

9. Once the system is airtight, move the tubing from your 500 mL beaker to a dry and
empty 500 mL beaker.

10. Have the apparatus checked by your instructor and obtain permission prior to
applying heat. Ensure that the test tube is pointed away from any other students.

11. When heating, do not allow the test tube to get red hot. Heat until the evolution of
oxygen stops, plus an additional two minutes; do not allow the water level to go below
the bottom of the water outlet tube inside the flask. (It may be beneficial to move the
burner around to prevent the tubing from getting red hot.)

7. Data Call. Report the following data to your instructor and record the accepted
value of the mass percent of KClO3(s) required to calculate your percent error.

Temperature of water in beaker (oC)

Temperature of water in beaker (K)
Volume of water displaced (mL)
Volume of oxygen (L)
Atmospheric pressure (torr)
Partial pressure of water (torr)
(use table 2)
Partial pressure of oxygen (torr)
Poxygen = Ptotal – Pwater
Partial pressure of oxygen (atm)
Mass of original mixture (g) m1
Mass of tube (g) m2
Mass of tube with the residual solid after
reaction (g) m3
Mass of oxygen (g)
moxygen = m1 – (m3 – m2)
Mole of oxygen (mol)

8. When you have completed all experimental procedures, scrape the solid waste from
your test tube into the solid waste container at the front of the lab and place test tube in
the broken glass container.

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CHEM 141 Fall 2021

Experiment 2. You will use a 25-mL syringe to measure volume in this experiment
designed to illustrate the relationship between Volume and Pressure.

Fig 2. Volume Pressure Apparatus

1. Have the tubing connected to the Florence flask in a 100 mL graduated cylinder with
~50 mL of water.

2. Ensure that all of the oxygen is evacuated from the tube just as in experiment 1.

3. Once the oxygen is evacuated and the tube is clamped attach the syringe to the
apparatus with the plunger pulled to 10mL.

4. Unclamp the tubing. Once the water is no longer flowing, your apparatus is air tight.

5. Place the tubing in an empty 50 mL graduated cylinder. Fill the graduated cylinder to
the 20 mL line.

6. Push the plunger to 0 mL and observe the change in the water’s volume.

7. Pull the plunger to 20 mL and observe the change in the water’s volume.

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CHEM 141 Fall 2021

Temp(°C) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

17 14.530 14.715 14.903 15.092 15.284
18 15.477 15.673 15.871 16.071 16.272
19 16.477 16.685 16.894 17.105 17.319
20 17.535 17.753 17.974 18.197 18.422
21 18.650 18.880 19.113 19.349 19.587
22 19.827 20.070 20.316 20.565 20.815
23 21.066 21.324 21.583 21.845 22.110
24 22.377 22.648 22.922 23.198 23.475
25 23.756 24.039 24.326 24.617 24.912
26 25.209 25.509 25.812 26.117 26.426
27 26.739 27.055 27.374 27.696 28.021
28 28.349 28.680 29.015 29.354 29.697
29 30.043 30.392 30.745 31.102 31.461
30 31.824 32.191 32.561 32.934 33.312
31 33.695 34.082 34.471 34.864 35.261
32 35.663 36.068 36.477 36.891 37.308
33 37.729 38.155 38.584 39.018 39.457
34 39.898 40.344 40.796 41.251 41.710
Table 2. Vapor Pressure (in torr) of Water Below 100°C (CRC, 66th edition)

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University of South Carolina
CHEM 141 Fall 2021

Data Analysis:

1. Using your data from Experiment 1, calculate the percent of KClO3 in the original
mixture.

2. Calculate your percent error. (The actual mass percent of KClO3 is 69.95%)

3. What could be some potential causes for any error?

4. Using your data from Experiment 1, calculate the Gas Constant R. (Remember
𝐿𝐿∙𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
that the units for Gas Constant, R, are )
𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚∙𝐾𝐾

5. From Experiment 2, what did you observe when the plunger was pushed from 10
mL to 0 mL? From 0 mL to 20 mL?

6. What does this imply about the relationship between Pressure and Volume?
What gas law is displayed in this experiment?

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University of South Carolina
CHEM 141 Fall 2021

7. In Experiment 2, the volume displacement apparatus is set up with the plunger

on the syringe pushed to 5 mL. The pressure of the system at this point was 762
torr. The plunger was then pulled back to 25 mL. Using Boyle’s Law, calculate
the pressure when the plunger is pulled back.

8. A balloon was inflated in Denver, CO to a volume of 1.3 L. The barometric

pressure in Denver is 711.2 torr. If the inflated balloon is moved to Columbia, SC,
calculate the Volume of the balloon. (Use your recorded atmospheric pressure
for this calculation)

9. Knowing the relationship between Temperature and Pressure, predict the

pressure change if a sealed container of gas is heated from room temperature.

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University of South Carolina
CHEM 141 Fall 2021

10. Knowing the relationship between Temperature and Pressure, predict the
pressure change if a sealed container of gas is cooled from room temperature.

11. A sealed 1 L flask with an amount of gas held at 760 torr is heated from 25°C to
40°C. Using Gay-Lussac’s Law, calculate the pressure of the gas in the sealed
flask at 40°C.