Vapor Pressure and Heat of Vaporization Worksheet:

Name Date

Provide a brief statement of the purpose of this activity. Be sure to include the meaning of
enthalpy of vaporization and why vapor pressure is temperature dependent. Additionally show
the Clausius-Clapeyron equation and describe how vapor pressure and temperature data can be
manipulated to find the enthalpy of vaporization.

The purpose of this activity - To measure the pressure sealed in a container of a volatile liquid at
different temperatures.
Some gas molecules will exert pressure in the container, while others will revert to liquid. At a
steady temperature, the rate of condensation and evaporation will reach a state of equilibrium.
Vapor pressure is the pressure in this equilibrium. The molecules with enough Kinetic Energy to
depart the liquid form determine the vapour pressure. The higher the temperature, the more
molecules with sufficient Kinetic Energy to convert to a gas.

Enthalpy of vaporization- The enthalpy of vaporization (∆Hvap), also known as the (latent) heat

of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the amount of energy (enthalpy) that must be added to a
liquid substance to transform a quantity of that substance into a gas

Clausius-Clapeyron equation-

 H vap  1  Where-
ln P   C  P is vapor pressure (any unit)
R T   T is temperature (in Kelvin)
 R is universal gas constant (8.314 J/mol•K)
 ΔHvap is heat of vaporization

The relationship between vapor pressure and temperature is relatively complex, but it can be
expressed in a linear form.
So, if we compare the Clausius-Clapeyron equation with equation of straight line (y = mx + c)
1 -∆ H vap
In this form, y = ln P and x =( )
T
and slope will be equal to
R
. This means that there is a
1
linear relationship when graphing ln P versus ( )
T
.
 Slope is positive if ∆ Hvap = −¿
 Slope is negative if ∆ Hvap=+¿ .
Data Table
Include a data table that shows Temperature, Ptotal, Pair, Pvap, 1/T and lnPvap. It should include a
descriptive caption.

Table- Total pressure measured at various temperature and Pvap calculated from it.
Pressur Pair Pvap Temperature Temperature lnPvap
Temperature e (K) 1/T(K-1)
T(⁰C) PT(Torr)
21.5 761.3 294.65
0.1 668.8 656.8 12 273.25 0.00366 2.48
3.1 679.6 664.2 15.4 276.25 0.00361 2.73
6.1 690.2 671.4 18.8 279.25 0.00358 2.93
9.1 696.5 677.8 17.7 282.25 0.00354 2.87
12.1 717.6 685.9 31.7 285.25 0.00350 3.45
15.1 728.1 693.1 35 288.25 0.00346 3.55
18.1 746.6 700.3 46.3 291.25 0.00343 3.83
21.5 772.2 707.5 64.7 294.65 0.00339 4.16
24.5 781.4 715.7 65.7 297.65 0.00335 4.18
27.5 805.2 722.9 82.3 300.65 0.00332 4.41
30.5 827.2 730.1 97.1 303.65 0.00329 4.57
33.5 851.2 737.3 113.9 306.65 0.00326 4.73
36.8 883.0 744.6 138.4 309.65 0.00322 4.93
40.1 921.8 753.2 168.6 313.25 0.00319 5.13
43.4 961.5 761.15 200.35 316.55 0.00315 5.30
46.7 1009.2 769.1 240.1 319.85 0.00312 5.48

At Room temperature
 Graph
Include a plot the natural log of Pvap vs. the reciprocal of absolute temperature. In the caption,
include the equation of the line of best fit.

Plot of lnPvap(ethanol) vs 1/T

6

f(x) = − 5674.46 x + 23.22

5

4
lnPvap Ethanol

0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Temperature
1/T(K-1)

Equation of the line of best fit

y = -5674.5x + 23.222
where y= lnPvap, x= 1/T

This can be written as –

lnPvap= = -5674.5(1/T) + 23.222

 Analysis
Describe how the Pair was calculated for the differing temperatures, show a sample.

Ptotal = Pair + PEtOH

(Ptotal is measured in the experiment)
PEtOH =12.001 torr @ 0⁰C
Pair, 273 K = Ptotal – 12 torr
 At 0.1 ⁰C = 273.25 ≈273 K
Pair, 273 K = Ptotal – 12 torr
=668.8 – 12
Pair, 273 K = 656.8 torr

 At 6.1 ⁰C = 279.25
Using equation

P air, 273 K  T new
Pair, new =
T 273 K

Pair = (656.8 x 279.25)/ 273.15 = 671.46 torr

Report your value for ΔHvap of ethanol. Show the calculation used to arrive at the reported
value.
Comparing equation of best fit line (lnPvap= = -5674.5(1/T) + 23.222) with Clausius-Clapeyron
equation

-∆ H vap
= slope = -5674.5 torr•K
R

ΔHvap = 5674.5 torr•K x R

=5674.5 torr•K x 8.314 J/mol•K

ΔHvap of ethanol = 47.17 KJ/mol
 The accepted value of the ΔHvap of ethanol is 42.32 kJ/mol. Report the percent error in your
calculated value of ΔHvap for ethanol.
ΔHvap of ethanol = 47.17 KJ/mol (calculated value)

Percent error= [(calculated value - accepted vale)/accepted value] x 100%

= [(47.17-42.32)/ 42.32] x 100%
Percent error = 11.46 %

Is your value for the ΔHvap greater than or less than the accepted value? Think of some valid
sources of error to account for your difference and explain how they would contribute to the
direction of your error.
My calculated value is greater than the accepted value by +11.46%.
Sources of error-
 Using too much or too little ice could have been a source of inaccuracy, affecting the
temperature rise.
 Other source of error is failing to properly cover the ethanol flask in ice water. Because the
ethanol isn't fully reacting, this could alter the pressure change.
 A last source of inaccuracy is having faulty or inadequate equipment, which has an impact
on both temperature and pressure due to inaccurate measurements.
These errors may be avoided if the right amount of ice was used, the ethanol flask was
properly placed in the ice water, and new or improved equipment was used.

Vapor Pressure and Heat of Vaporization Worksheet:

There is not a formal lab report for this lab. Complete the above pages and submit them to your
TA in the dropbox