DISCUSSION

Thisexperimentisallaboutdeterminingthegasdiffusioncoefficientofacetone
usingtheGasDiffusionCoefficientApparatus(showninFigure1Appendices).The
parametersinvolvedinthisexperimentaretime(ks),thelevelofacetone,L(mm),the
liquidfall,(LLo)(mm)andthetimeperliquidfallt/(LLo)(ks/mm).
Thisexperimentprocedurewasperformedusingthegaseousdiffusivityapparatus.
Thediffusionofacetonewhichisavolatileliquidintoanothergas(inthisexperiment
isair)canbeconvenientlystudiedbyconfiningasmallsampleofacetoneinanarrow
verticaltubewhilemaintainingaconstanttemperatureofwaterbath,andobserving
itsrateofevaporationintoastreamofairpassedacrossthetopofthetube.This
methodisknownasWinkelmanns method.

Theexperimentfirststartedbyswitchingonthemainpowersupply.Next,the
heaterwasswitchedon.Theapparatuswasthenleftuntiltheindicatedtemperature
reaches 50C. While waiting for the indicated temperature to reach 50C, the
preparationofthecapillarytubewasdonebyfillingitwith35mmofacetone.In
conjunctiontothat,oncetheindicatedtemperaturereaches50C,thecapillarytube
wasinsertedintothewaterbathandtherubbertubingwhichisconnectedtothe
capillarytubewaspairedupwiththeairpump.Then,theairpumpwasswitchedon.
Once settled down, the telescope was observed and the readings of the level of
acetone(mm)wererecordeddownwith10minutesintervals.
However,duringconductingtheexperimenttherewereseveralexperimentalerror
ormistakeoccurredeffectingslightlytheresultwereobtained.Thefirstonewas
duringtakingthereadingofmeniscusofacetone.Theeyepositionshouldbeparallel
tothemeniscusinordertogetaccurateprecisemeasurement.Whileadjustingthe
meniscus,makesurethemeniscusislocatedmostnearertothehorizontallinebefore
takingthereadingfromthevernierscale.Ontopofthat,theintervaltimetoget
another reading is too short which is 2 minutes thus causing the result to be

unchangedsometimes.Therefore,theexperimentshouldbecarriedoutinlongertime
togetbetterresults.Theapparatususedinthisexperimentsuchasthecapillarytube
andsyringeshouldbecleanedandrinsedwithdistilledwaterbeforeusingtheminthis
experiment.Whenconfiningtheacetoneintothecapillarytube,makesurethereisno
bubble formed. The temperature specified also must be constant through out the
experiment.Incarryingoutthelaboratoryexperiments,safetytakesprecendenceover
allotherconsideration.Properclothingshouldbewearallthetimeinthelaboratory.
Glovesshouldbewearwhilehandlingtheacetone.
The factors that affect the diffusion ofacetone is temperature. The higher the
temperature the higher the rate of diffusion concentration. Besides, the size of
particle.Thebiggertheparticle,thehighertheenergytodiffuse.Otherthanthatis
stateofmatter.Solidstakemoretimetodiffusecomparedtoliquidswhileliquidstake
moretimetodiffusecomparedtogasses.Gassestakelesstimetodiffusecomparedto
liquidsandsolids.Natureofmatteralsoaffectthediffusion.Thedenserthematter,
theslowertherateofdiffusion.

GRAPH

Graph t/(L-Lo) against (L-Lo)

f(x) = 0.03x + 0.69

CALCULATIONS