Name: _________________________ NGSS

Chemistry Lab/Activity (Topic: Physical Behavior of Matter)

Title: Charles’ Law

Aim: To study the relationship between temperature and

volume of a gas when pressure is held constant

Related Phenomenon: Soda Can Crusher

Purpose: To determine the effect of temperature on the volume of a gas

when pressure is held constant

Materials:
600 mL Beaker 250 mL Erlenmeyer Flask Paper Towels Goggles
100 mL Graduated Cylinder Hot Plate Thermometer Ice
Deep Sink One Hole Stopper

Pre-Lab:

Describe the relationship between temperature of a gas and the speed of the molecules.
As temp increases the speed of molecules increases

Perform the following temperature conversions:

293 373 0 100

25oC = _________K 100oC = ________K 273 K= ________oC 373 K= ________o
C

Investigation:

➤Claim: Make a prediction- if the temperature of a sample of a gas is increased, how will the
volume of the sample of gas be affected?

The volume of the gas will increase

Evidence: following the procedure below, collect your evidence.

1. Obtain a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask and place a one-hole rubber stopper fitted with a glass
tube in the flask.
2. Obtain a 600mL beaker and add approximately 350mL of water to the beaker
3. Place the 250mL Erlenmeyer flask in the 600mL beaker filled with water and place the
beaker on top of your hot plate.
4. Heat the water in the beaker until boiling and continue to heat for 5 minutes as it boils.
While the water is boiling, place a plug in the sink drain and fill it up almost completely
with ice and cold water.

➤Evidence:
In the space to the right, draw a model to represent
the transfer of heat between the boiling water and
the gas in the flask.

➤Evidence:

In the space to the right, draw a model to represent

any changes to the gas molecules as the flask is
being heated.

They're speeding up
 5. Take the temperature of the boiling water after 5 minutes and record this value as T1 on
your data table.
6. Using a wrapped paper towel or glove, carefully remove the flask from the beaker by
holding it from the top rim of the flask and covering the hole of the glass tube with your
finger. CAUTION: The flask is HOT!
7. While your finger is covering the glass tube, hold the flask upside down in the ice-water
mixture while another partner pours ice water over the bottom of the flask. Keep the
flask completely submerged with your finger over the hole of the glass tube for at least 20
seconds.

➤Evidence:
In the space to the right, draw a model to represent
the transfer of energy between the ice-water and the
gas in the flask.

8. Remove your finger from the glass tube while keeping the flask submerged in the
ice-water. Observe the flask closely.

➤Evidence:
In the space to the right, draw a model to represent
your visual observations when your finger was
removed from the glass tube while the flask was
still submerged in the water.

9. Remove the flask from the ice-water,

remove the rubber stopper from the flask,
and record the temperature of the water
inside as T2 on your data table.
 10. Pour the water from the flask into a graduated cylinder and record the volume as
Vwater in flask on your data table.
11. To determine the volume of the flask, fill up the entire 250mL flask with water and place
the stopper inside. Remove the stopper and pour the water into a graduated cylinder.
Record this volume as V1 on your data table.

➤Evidence: complete the data table below.

Initial O
C K Initial Volume of Gas (V1) 265
100 373
Temperature (T1)
O
Final C K Final Volume of Gas (V2)
12 285
Temperature (T2) (V2 = V1 - V water in flask)

Volume of Water in Flask

(V water in flask) 29ml

➤Evidence:
Construct a graph of your data. Label the x-axis as Temperature (Kelvin) and the y-axis as
Volume of gas (mL). Plot the points (T1, V1) and (T2, V2). Connect the data points and extend the
line to the origin of your graph (0,0).

Conclusion/Outcome

➤Based on your graph, what is the relationship between temperature and volume of a gas when
the pressure is held constant?
As temp increased the volume increased.
➤Reasoning: Use Evidence from your investigation to defund or refute the Claim you made
at the beginning of the investigation about the relationship between temperature and volume of
a gas.

I will defend my claim. My evidence backs up my claim

➤Explain why you had to keep your finger over the hole of the glass tube when transferring the
flask from the boiling water to the ice-water.

So the air pressure didn't leave the flask

➤Explain, in terms of volume of a gas, why the ice-water entered the flask upon removing your
finger from the hole of the glass tube.

Becuase of the different levels of pressure between the air and the air inside the flask.

➤Explain, in terms of heat transfer, why the temperature of the boiling water and the
temperature of the ice-water could be used as the temperature of the gas in the flask.

Because the flask was placed in both for a period of time, transferring their energy.
➤Using the data you collected for T1, T2 and V1, calculate the accepted value for V2, final volume
of gas.

Percent Error:
Determine your percent error for V2, final volume of gas, based on the accepted value above

➤Describe two sources of error in this experiment. For each source of error, explain how it
would have affected your final volume of the gas.

removing finger too early. Allows gas to escape. And not fully covering the hole.