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1

Background Information
This experiment aims to measure absolute zero temperature, the lowest
attainable temperature. In order to determine absolute zero, the pressures exerted by
gases will be measured at different temperatures at a constant volume, and then a graph
will be constructed based on that data. A best-fit line will be used to estimate absolute
zero.
Diagram







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Results







Temperature /C
(0.5 C)
Pressure / kPa
(2.5 kPa)
0.0 74.0
5.0 75.5
10.0 76.5
23.0 80.0
30.0 82.5
34.5 85.0
44.0 87.5
51.5 90.0
58.0 92.5
65.0 95.0
74.0 97.5
79.5 100.0
86.0 102.5
93.5 105.0
99.0 107.5
Table n1 showing Temperature /C and
Pressure / kPa done in Trial 1
Temperature /C Pressure / kPa
-0.5 76.5
99.5 105.0
0.5 71.5
98.5 110.0
Max
Slope
Table n2 showing the Max and Min Slopes
Points for Trial 1
Min
Slope
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Temperature /C
(0.5 C)
Pressure / kPa
(2.5 kPa)
0.0 74.0
5.0 75.0
10.0 76.0
22.5 80.0
30.0 82.5
38.0 85.0
44.0 87.5
50.5 90.0
56.0 92.5
66.0 95.0
71.5 97.5
80.0 100.0
86.0 102.5
92.0 105.0
99.5 107.5
Table n3 showing Temperature /C and
Pressure / kPa done in Trial 2
Temperature /C Pressure / kPa
-0.5 76.5
100.0 105.0
0.5 71.5
99.0 110.0
Max
Slope
Table n4 showing the Max and Min Slopes
Points for Trial 2
Min
Slope
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Temperature /C
(0.5 C)
Pressure / kPa
(2.5 kPa)
0.0 74.5
5.0 75.5
10.0 76.0
24.0 80.0
30.0 82.5
37.5 85.0
44.5 87.5
52.0 90.0
59.5 92.5
65.0 95.0
74.5 97.5
81.0 100.0
87.5 102.5
94.0 105.0
100.0 107.5
Table n5 showing Temperature /C and
Pressure / kPa done in Trial 3
Temperature /C Pressure / kPa
-0.5 77.0
100.5 105.0
0.5 72.0
99.5 110.0
Max
Slope
Min
Slope
Table n6 showing the Max and Min Slopes
Points for Trial 3
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Calculations:



Thus, the calculations using the equation of the best fit lines for the 3 trials are:
Trial 1

y = 0.3389x + 73.054

when y=0 ; then

Trial 2

y = 0.3444x + 72.756

when y=0; then

Trial 3

y = 0.3358x + 72.953

when y=0 ; then

Average

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Uncertainties Calculations

In terms of uncertainties, the absolute uncertainties were calculated by:
The minimum measurement for the
analogical Pressure Recorder is 5kPa

Thus, the absolute uncertainty = 2.5 kPa
The minimum measurement for the
analogical Thermometer is= 1

Thus, the absolute uncertainty is= 0.5 C

Then, the percentage error of the temperature will be given by:
Percentage Error:


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Accepted value of Absolute Zero is= -273.15 C

Then,


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However,
There are minimum and maximum slopes in the graph where the intersections with the
x-axis. This implies the range where the value of the Experimental Absolute Zero can
vary, though.
The uncertainty of the slope is given by


And m is given by

The uncertainty in the slope for Trial 1 is

the uncertainty in the slope for Trial 2 is

the uncertainty in the slope for Trial 3 is

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Conclusions and Evaluations
The aim of the experiment was to find out the absolute zero. It was calculated by
the experiment based on increasing temperature (C) of water by heating a gas and
measuring its pressure (kPa). In principle, the absolute zero was calculated by
extrapolating the best-fit line with the interception with the x-axis. Hence, if the line
equation in the form of: mx+b =y , then when y=0 , the x is calculated and that value is
the Absolute Zero. It is worth noting that as of considering the error in the experiment,
there are maximum and minimum slopes which set the range of absolute zero. In reality,
the values varied between -272C and -184.0 C.
My hypothesis was that the absolute zero was going to be successfully found
within a range of less than 25% of error; which indeed was the case. Thus, my
hypothesis was correct since the Percentage Error was 21%, but still the accurate value
of the absolute zero was not really shown experimentally. The range has to arise since
there is inevitability for experimental errors such as systematic and human errors.
It is worth noting that the uncertainty of the slope and the uncertainty of the
experimental absolute zero are due for something which can be either due for some
random errors or systematic errors. It is clear that a random error was noticed as
anomalous results, for example, the dots which did not follow the sequence that the
majority of the dots did. For example, in graph #2 there was a coordinate that did not
follow it and was removed in the graph.
For example, a clear source of error comes when reading the thermometer, in
which we may have had the parallax error which is human error. Another weakness of
this is that in reality it is an analogue device which has a higher percentage of error
uncertainty than an electronic device. It is assumed that all the heat was transferred from
the water to the ball of Iron which is flawed since there is always heat loss. It is
important to mention also that the percentage error was 21%; though this is a large
value, the reason behind this impasse is that since the data is extrapolated quite a large
distance from the collected data, small error will result in large error in the calculated
results or in the absolute zero. Thus, the temperature range measured was not quite wide
and thus, led to this prorogation of error.
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Another error is that the measurement of temperature was on the water but not
on the ball of Copper. Since the water around the ball was being heated, and not the ball
itself, it was impossible to ensure that the gas inside the ball was being heated
uniformly. The possibility for further, more egregious errors, coupled with the
unavailability of a more calibrated mercury thermometer, caused some distortion of data
throughout the whole experiment, which counts as a systematic error.
In order to make a more efficient and accurate experiment (obtaining more
accurate value), the improvements need to be taken into account. When reading the
thermometer, one must make sure to read the correct value without parallax angle.
Moreover, it is recommended that the devices used are digital so that there is a lower
minimum uncertainty of the real value. In order to heat the whole system rather than the
water itself, it would be ideal to construct a set-up where the water and the ball of
copper is heated equivalently.
The accuracy of the experiment could be greatly improved by taking data over a
wider temperature range, though there are limitations such as lack of correct equipment.
Either by choosing to measure lower values of Temperature by using Liquid Nitrogen or
Dry Ice , which are alternatives rather than regular ice to achieve lower temperatures,
will result thus in a more likelihood of extrapolation to obtain a more accurate value for
the absolute zero.