REPORT (Laboratory Questions)

In the experiment, entitled “Molar Mass of a Volatile Liquid”, which determines the
molar mass of a substance through the use of the ideal gas law, has procedures that might be
critical in obtaining the values needed in order to acquire the molar mass. Similarly, in Part A.1
of the experiment, the mass of the flask (before the sample is placed in the flask) is measured
when the outside of the flask is wet. However, in Part B.3, the outside of the flask is dried before
its mass is measured, thus, the mass of the vapor would be affected since when the wet flask was
weighed during Part A.1, the droplets of water would be mistaken for the mass of the vapor.
Therefore, the mass of the vapor would be too high when the outside of the flask is wet, but
when measured a second time, the mass of the vapor would then be too low since it is measured
with the dry flask and the vapor in it.

Nonetheless, the molar mass of the vapor in the flask would depend on the obtained value
of the mass of the vapor. In fact, this gives us the idea that the molar mass would be too high if
the reported mass is too high as well. However, since the value of the mass of the vapor dropped
drastically during Part B.3, the molar mass would then be too low since it reflects the division of
the molar mass of vapor by the moles of vapor, which would result in a lower reported molar
mass.

As for measuring the mass of the flask in Part A.1 up until Part B.3, it would be
inevitable if the flask would be handled a number of times with oily fingers, yet generally, it is
recommended that the flask would not be contaminated by any unnecessary moisture during the
experiment. Also, this lack of proper technique would result in the molar mass of the vapor as
too high since there was an added mass when the final mass of the flask would be calculated.
Therefore, the recorded value would then be higher than the actual value, which could possibly
lead to errors in calculating the molar mass of the vapor.

In addition, during the Part A.2 of the experiment, the aluminium foil was pierced several
times with large pencil – size holes instead of pin- size, thus, since the holes were enlarged, a
large amount of vapor would be able to escape, which would cause the mass to decrease.
Similarly, this would also mean that the escaped vapor would result the mass of the vapor to be
too low as well, so when more vapor escapes, the molar mass will be recorded as lower.
 Consequently, since the recorded mass of the vapor would be too low, it would also be
the same for the reported molar mass of the liquid to be too low as well. In other words, the large
amount of vapor escaping affects the molar mass of the liquid since molar mass is the mass, in
grams, of the vapor divided by the number of moles of vapor. For example, if the correct mass of
the vapor is twenty – five (25) grams and the number of moles is five (5), then the molar mass
would be five (5) g/mol. However, if the mass is decreased to fifteen (15) grams, the molar mass
would be two (2) g/mol because ten (10) grams/ five (5) moles = two (2) g/mol.

During the vaporization of the sample, the flask is completely filled with water in Part
B.2 only when it is removed from the hot water bath in Part B.3. However, when the flask cools,
some of the vapor condenses in the flask, however, it could be observed that the molar mass of
the liquid would still be unaffected. The occurrence of the vapor condensing inside the flask is a
normal observation when the flask cools; therefore it would not affect the value of the molar
mass of the liquid.

In Part B.2, assuming that the thermometer is miscalibrated to read 0. 3oC higher than the
actual, the molar mass of the vapor in the flask would be reported as too high since both molar
mass and temperature is directly proportional to each other. Specifically, if the temperature is
high, then that would mean that the molar mass is high as well since both are directly related.
Likewise, the direct proportionality between temperature and molar mass could be seen below:

As for determining the volume and pressure of the vapor during Part C.1, when one
assumes that the volume of the flask is to be one hundred twenty – five (125) mL instead of the
measured volume, the calculated molar mass of the unknown liquid would then be too low since
considering the vapor is 0.2 mL, which is far much lesser than the assumption. Also, based on
the formula below:
 Specifically, having a higher total volume result in a higher amount of moles because the
formula for moles of a vapor is PV/RT. Therefore, a higher amount of moles recorded means that
the molar mass will be too low because molar mass is mass divided by moles (mass in
grams/moles in mol).

Lastly, in Part C.2, which determines the pressure of the vapor, could give a pressure
reading from the barometer that is higher than it actually is. This instance (increase of pressure)
would affect the molar mass of the liquid to be too low and the number of moles to be too high
since based on the equation, the multiplied mass of vapor and moles of vapor equals the molar
mass of a compound. However, despite the higher number of moles of vapor, the molar mass
will ultimately decrease.
CONCLUSION

In this experiment, which is entitled “Molar Mass of a Volatile Liquid”, has an objective
to determine the molar mass of the given unknown liquid. Evidently, the molar mass would be
obtained through the vaporization of the liquid in order to measure its physical properties while it
condenses. In addition, the estimation of the molar mass of volatile liquids through the use of the
Dumas method in obtaining the vaporized densities of the liquid at a temperature above their
boiling point was done. Therefore, it could be concluded that, the molar mass of the volatile
liquid could be determined through the mass of the vapor in the flask and the amount of moles
present in liquid, which was determined though the use of the ideal gas law. Nevertheless, it is
essential that the unknown liquid sample that would be tested is volatile, which would vaporizes
at a temperature less than one hundred (100) degree Celsius.

Furthermore, the expected molar mass of the given unknown volatile liquid was sixty
(60) g/mol, and the molar mass obtained through the experiment was 60.2 g/mol. Therefore, even
though the gas is denser than its liquid form, the moles of the vapor are the same as the number
of the moles of the unknown liquid. Similarly, it could be concluded that phase changes of
substances could be used in order to observe the changes during the said transition of the
substance.
 EXPERIMENT 2
MOLAR MASS OF A VOLATILE LIQUID

GROUP NO: 3 CM011L/ B8

NAME: DE LEON, AUDREY LEI C.
COURSE AND YEAR: CIVIL ENGINEERING – 1ST YEAR