Name: _____________________________________ Period 3 5 8

Ideal Gas Law Lab

Corn contains different proportions of water, sugar and starch, depending on the variety of the corn. Making popcorn out of corn
kernels involves heating the corn until the vapor pressure of water inside the kernel is enough to cause it to burst. When the kernel
bursts, it turns inside out, releasing the water that was stored in the kernel.

Research Question/Purpose: (this will be answered by completing the lab)

What pressure is needed inside the popcorn kernel to get the kernel to pop?

Pre-Lab Questions: (to be completed individual on separate paper by Monday 10.10.16)

1) What is the ideal gas law?

2) What are the two ideal gas law constants that we have used in class?
3) Describe in words what you expect to happen to both pressure and volume if you increase the temperature of the water inside
a kernel of popcorn.
4) In the video with the train car, the car imploded because the pressure inside the car was made drastically less than the
pressure outside. What conditions would have had to have been met in order for the car to explode?

Equipment:
Hotplate Erlenmeyer Flask Graduated cylinder Popcorn Vegetable oil
Glove/crucible tongs Aluminum foil Balance Weighing dishes

Procedure (Read through the entire step before starting it check off each step when finished):
______ 1. Obtain apron and goggles.
______ 2. Read through the entire procedure before beginning.
______ 3. Find the mass of 10 popcorn kernels. Record. (Remember to tare the balance AFTER placing the weighing dish on it, and
BEFORE adding the popcorn kernels.)
______ 4. Using the water displacement method, find the volume of the 10 kernels using the 25 mL graduated cylinder. Fill the
cylinder with approximately 15 mL of water. Record the initial volume. Record. Place the 10 kernels in the cylinder. Read
the new volume and record. The volumes should be read to the tenths place.
______ 5. Use paper towels to dry the kernels before proceeding.
______6. Use the pressure sensor to record the atmospheric pressure in the lab. Record in your date table. This is set up in the fume
hood. Have one member of your team proceed to the fume hood and obtain the value.
______ 7. Obtain the Erlenmeyer flask at your table. Proceed to your balance. Take the mass the Erlenmeyer flask. Record.
______8. Add a few drops of oil to barely cover the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask. Proceed to your balance and take the mass of
your Erlenmeyer flask and oil. Record.
______ 9. Add the popcorn to the flask. Proceed to your balance and take the mass of the flask, oil and popcorn kernels. Record.
______ 10. Cover the top of the flask with aluminum foil. Use the pencil at your table to poke two holes in the top. This is to prevent
popcorn from flying out of the flask while allowing heat to escape.
______ 11. Turn on hotplate to medium and place flask carefully on hotplate.
______ 12. Hold the neck of the Erlenmeyer flask with a gloved hand, and move it back and forth slowly across the hot plate until the
popcorn pops.
______ 13. Remove from heat when most of the kernels have popped. Do not burn the popcorn! If you do, you will have to start
over.
______ 14. Carefully remove the piece of aluminum foil. The flask will be HOT!
______ 15. If there is water vapor on the inside of the flask, make sure it evaporates when cooling.
______ 16. Let the flask cool for at least 10 minutes. It will be very HOT! (While you are letting the flask cool, check your post-lab
questions. Are there any calculations you can work on while waiting?)
______17. Determine final mass of the flask, oil and popped popcorn.
______ 18. Throw popped popcorn in a trashcan.
______ 19. Return flasks and other materials to the appropriate locations. Al foil and popcorn goes in the trash. The Erlenmeyer flask
goes upside down in the dishwasher.
Data and Observations:

a) Mass of popcorn kernels

(Remember to tare the balance AFTER placing the weighing dish on it, and BEFORE adding the popcorn kernels)

____________g

b) Initial volume reading of graduated cylinder ____________mL

c) Volume reading of graduated cylinder with popcorn ____________mL

d) Atmospheric Pressure of Classroom: ____________kPa

e) Mass of flask ____________g

f) Mass of flask and oil ____________g

g) Mass of flask, oil, and un-popped popcorn ____________g

h) Mass of flask, oil and popped popcorn ____________g

Observations:

Calculations (label your calculations with the bold statement show work, use sig. figs., place units on answers)
a) Using the mass of the 10 popcorn kernels calculate the mass of one popcorn kernel
b) Using line g and h from observations, determine the mass of water lost by all kernels
c) Using the mass of water lost by all kernels, determine the mass of water in one kernel
d) Calculate the % mass of water in one kernel (Hint: popcorn mass = whole, water mass = part)
e) Using the mass of one popcorn kernel, calculate the number of moles of water in one kernel (Remember: Your unit
conversion for mass to moles is the molar mass of water, which is 18.02 g = 1mol)
f) Using lines c and b from observations calculate the volume of 10 kernels
g) Convert the volume of 10 kernels from mL to L (1 L = 1000 mL)
h) Using your total volume of kernels in L, calculate the approximate volume of one popcorn kernel
i) We ae assuming that popcorn pops at the boiling point of cooking oil, which is 300.0 o C. Calculate the temperature of gas in
Kelvin.
j) Using the Ideal Gas Law, calculate the pressure inside the kernel.

Conclusion: Compare the kernel pressure with the atmospheric pressure. What condition do you think is necessary for the
popcorn to pop, based on your calculations? Write a 2-3 sentence conclusion using your data to support your answer. You need to
use your data and/or calculations to address the research question/purpose.

Presentation you and your group will need to complete a poster board (provided to you) about the experiment it will include
the following:

Title Data Lab Partners

Research Question (must have heading, summarize the research question)
Data Table/Observations Table (must have heading, all values must have proper units)
Calculations Section (must have heading, all work needs to be labeled, shown, use proper sig figs, and have units)
Conclusion (must have heading, addresses the conclusion statement presented in the lab write-up written in complete
sentences, in paragraph form)