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‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

‫ محمد عبدهللا الطيب‬:‫االسم‬

EX.No:06

Ex. name: molecular weight of volatile

liquid .

Date:2008.4.13
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1. Objective:
Find the molecular weight for unknown volatile
liquid using the ideal gas law equation.

2. Theory:
volatile liquid: is the liquid that his boiling point is lower
than the water boiling point(100c).
According to Avogadro's principle, equal volumes of gases
at the same condition of temperature and pressure contain equal
number of particles . using this principle Dumas was able to
measure the densities of different volatile liquid from which
their molecular weight were determined .however the number of
moles of an ideal gas is related to its volume and pressure at
certain temperature by the ideal gas law equation:
PV=nRT

Where: P:is the pressure of the gas.

V:is the volume of the gas measured in L.
T:is the temperature of the gas in K.
R:is the gas constant.
n:is the number of moles of the gas.

In this experiment with the aid of an advanced procedure

of Dumas method a liquid will be evaporated at a measured
temperature T and pressure P, into measured volume V of an
Erlenmeyer flask. the number of moles of the gas and its
molecular weight then will be determined using the ideal gas
law.

Materials:
1.Unknown liquid. 6.Stand , clamps, rings.
2.Rubber band. 7.Dropper
3.aluminum foil. 8.Erlenmeyer flask 50ml
4.Balance. 9.thermometer
5.Beaker . 10.cylinder
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3. Procedure:
1. Take a clean, dry Erlenmeyer flask 50ml.
2. Weight the Erlenmeyer flask 50ml with aluminum
foil and rubber band accurately.
3.obtain from your instructor 5ml of unknown
sample of the volatile liquid and pour into clean dry
flask.
4.cover the top of the flask with the aluminum foil
and secure it with the rubber band then make a tiny
hole through the aluminum foil with a sharp pin.
5.assemble the apparatus with beaker half filled
water.
6.add boiling chips and start heating the beaker
slowly until water starts to boil , allow gentle boiling
to make sure that the liquid in the flask has
completely evaporated.
7.record the temperature of the boilng water and the
atmospheric pressure in the room.
8.turn of the burner and remove the flask from the
beaker using a towel and allow to cool to room
temperature then dry the flask completely.
9.weight the flask , aluminum foil ,rubber band and.
10.to determine the volume of flask fill it with water
then measure the volume of water by graduated
cylinder.
11.tabulate your data as follows showing all
calculation needs:
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4. Results and Calculate:

Table of recorded data to unknown number 5

Mass of empty flask+ aluminum foil+ rubber band 61.70g

Mass of flask+aluminum foil+rubber band+condenced 61.87g
vapor
Mass of condensed vapor =m2-m1 00.17g

Temperature of boiling water (ºC) 95 ºC

Temperature of boiling water (K)= ºC+273= 368 K
Atmospheric pressure (mmHg) 718mmHg
Atmospheric pressure (atm)=718/760= 0.94 atm
Volume of flask used=140/1000= 0.14ml

Molecular weight of the boiling liquid is:

PV=nRT ;n=m/m.wt
PV=(m/m.wt)RT
m.wt=mRT/PV
m.wt=(0.17x0.082x368)/(0.94x0.14)
m.wt=38.98
m.wt= 39 g/mol

5. Discussion:
In this experiment we had to heat the unknown
volatile liquid using water bath anf at this point there
were 2 problem:
The 1st problem : that the Bunsen burner was boor
of gas so it didn’t meet the expected temperature so we
had to change the burner.
The 2nd problem: was after the volatile liquid
evaporated and we weren’t able to determinate if all
liquid has evaporated so we lift the flask for extra time to
make sure that all liquid has evaporated.
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Pre-laboratory questions
Q.1) for which of the following liquids the molecular weight
can be determinated by method in this experiment:
a)glycerin(180 ºC)
b)benzene(80ºC)
c)dichloromethane(40ºC)
solue:
for b + c because there boiling point are lower than water
boiling point.

Q.2) A gas cylinder containing 45g of CO2 what is the mass

of O2 that occupies the same volume of CO2 at the same
pressure and temperature .
Solution:
Mass of O2 :
Mol of O = 45g CO2x (1mol CO2/44gCO2)x(2molO/1mol CO2)
Mol of O = 2.04
Mass of O =2.04x16
Mass of O =32.72g
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Post-laboratory questions
Q.1) list the sources of error in experiment:
1.bunsen burner out of gas.
2.error in weight the flask.
3.error in determinate the flask volume.
4.unable to now if all the liquid evaporated or yet.
5.error in calculate the Atmospheric pressure.
6.determine the boiling point for the liquid.

Q.2)was the measured volume of the flask equal to

the one written on the label ?
No , because the volume on the label are the
volume to the end line (the higher line) not all the
flask as the flask neck , so the real volume must be
bigger than the label.

Q.3)if you mistakenly used 1.0 atm inset of the

actual atmospheric presser in your calculation will
the value of the calculated molecular weight of the
liquid change explane?
Yes; because the molecular weight is
m.wt=mRT/PV
and if we use 1 atm it would be
m.wt=(0.17x0.082x368)/(1.0x0.14)
m.wt=36.64
while the right one is
m.wt=mRT/PV diff=2.34
m.wt=(0.17x0.082x368)/(0.94x0.14)
m.wt=38.98