Lab Activity 05 V A P O R P R E S S U R E

AND

I N T E R M O L E C U L A R F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

05 Vapor Pressure and Intermolecular Forces

Background If a glass of water is left out on a table, after a few days all the water will have evaporated. A glass of water left in direct sunlight will evaporate even faster. This is because as the temperature increases, the water molecules have more kinetic energy and a greater fraction of the molecules have the kinetic energy necessary to escape from the intermolecular attractions holding them in the liquid. So, as the temperature rises, more molecules can escape from the surface of the liquid into the gas phase. If the gas is in a closed container, then as more molecules evaporate from the surface, the pressure caused by the vapor particles above the surface of the liquid, also known as the vapor pressure, increases. Vapor pressure is also related to a liquid's boiling point. Boiling occurs when the vapor pressure, which can be thought of as the tendency of the liquid molecules to become a gas, equals the external pressure acting on the surface of the liquid. This balance between opposing pressures is what allows bubbles to form within the liquid as the temperature is increased to the boiling point. Not all substances have the same vapor pressure or boil at the same temperature. Vapor pressure, and boiling point, are very dependent on the intermolecular forces within the liquid. The stronger the intermolecular forces within the liquid, the harder it is for molecules to evaporate and the lower the vapor pressure at a given temperature. The lower the vapor pressure, the more heat must be given to the molecules in order to boil the liquid. Purpose In this exploration, the Chemistry Sensor will be used to observe the change in the vapor pressure of a liquid as the temperature varies. This information will then be related to the strength of intermolecular forces. Materials

PASCO & Other Equipment PASPORT Xplorer GLX PASPORT Chemistry Sensor (2) beaker, 400-mL Flask, 250-mL (2)

87

05 VAPOR PRESSURE

AND INTERMOLECULAR

F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

quick-release coupling, plastic tubing, connector (supplied with sensor) Stainless steel temperature probe Rubber stopper, two-hole

Graduated cylinder

Hot plate protective gear

Consumables Acetone, 10mL Glycerin, 1mL Ethanol, 10mL water, 1L

Safety Precautions Always work in an area that is well ventilated. Follow all directions for using the equipment. Wear safety glasses and follow standard laboratory safety procedures.

Pre-Lab Questions 1) Describe intermolecular forces. Why do you think these might play a role in the vapor pressure of various liquids? 2) How do you think the temperature of a liquid relates to its vapor pressure? Procedure Equipment Setup 1) Set up the water baths. Set up a cool water bath by half filling one beaker with cool water. Set up a warm water bath. Half fill a second beaker with water and place the beaker on the hot plate. Heat the second water bath to a temperature of 60 C. Use the temperature probe of the sensor to check the temperature occasionally as you set up the rest of the equipment.

88

05 V A P O R P R E S S U R E

AND

I N T E R M O L E C U L A R F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

2) Prepare the tubing and stopper. See the Sensor Information Sheet for the Chemistry Sensor for detailed instructions regarding preparing the tubing. Once the tubing is prepared, place a drop of glycerin on the large end of the connector and one on a hole in the stopper. Then insert the large-diameter end into the stopper. 3) Place a drop of glycerin in the other hole of the rubber stopper. Slide the Temperature Sensor through the hole in the rubber stopper.
Note: You may need to use the blue plastic tubing included with the sensor to ensure an airtight fit between the probe and stopper.

Xplorer GLX Setup 1) Connect the Chemistry Sensor to port #1 on the GLX. 2) Connect the temperature probe to the stereo plug on the Chemistry Sensor. 3) Set up a graph of Absolute Pressure versus Temperature: From the Home screen press Press to open the Graph Display.

to turn on the active fields.

Use the Arrow Keys to highlight the Time field (on the x axis) and press to open data source menu. Select Temperature as the data source and press Record Data Part I: Acetone 1) Put 10 mL of acetone in the flask. Hold the flask in the hot water bath. 2) Leave the flask in the water bath for four minutes to allow the acetone to vaporize and purge air from the flask. 3) Place the two hole stopper firmly into the top of the flask with the acetone. Adjust the Temperature Sensor in the rubber stopper so the tip of the sensor is in the liquid. 4) Align the quick-release connector on the end of the plastic tubing with the connector on the pressure port of the Pressure Sensor. Push the connector onto the port, and then turn the connector clockwise until it clicks (about one-eighth turn). again to select.

89

05 VAPOR PRESSURE

AND INTERMOLECULAR

F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

5) Remove the flask from the water bath. 6) Press to begin recording data.

7) Observe the change in temperature and pressure as the flask cools. 8) After four minutes immerse the flask in the cool water bath. 9) Continue recording data until the temperature reaches about 30 C. Press again to end data recording. 10) Slowly remove the two hole stopper to allow air to enter the flask. 11) Follow proper procedure to dispose of the remaining acetone. 12) Rinse and dry the flask. Part II: Ethanol 1) Heat the hot water bath to 75 C. 2) Put 10 mL of ethanol into the flask. Hold the flask in the hot water bath. 3) Leave the flask in the water bath for four minutes to allow the ethanol to vaporize and purge air from the flask. 4) Place the two hole stopper firmly into the top of the flask with the ethanol. Adjust the temperature probe in the rubber stopper so the tip of the sensor is in the liquid. 5) Repeat the data recording procedure for the ethanol (steps 5-12 in Part I). Analyze Record calculations in your data table on the Student Response Sheet as you complete your analysis. Use your data to answer the analysis and synthesis questions. Analysis 1) Enlarge your graph display by pressing to best view the data.

2) Use the Graph display to determine the relationship between pressure and temperature for the two liquids. Analysis and Synthesis Questions 1) What is the general relationship between the vapor pressure of acetone and the temperature of the liquid?

90

05 V A P O R P R E S S U R E

AND

I N T E R M O L E C U L A R F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

2) What is the general relationship between the vapor pressure of ethanol and the temperature of the liquid?. 3) Is the relationship between acetone and temperature and ethanol and temperature the same? How are they different? 4) Which would you predict has the higher boiling point, acetone or ethanol? Clearly state your reasons. 5) Write out the molecular structures for acetone (CH3COCH3) and ethanol (C2H5OH). Based on the structures, would you expect acetone or ethanol to have a higher boiling point? Does this agree with your experimental results? 6) Using what you learned in this experiment, sketch the pressure vs. temperature for methanol, water, and methane. Which would you predict to have the highest boiling point? The lowest?. 7) A large bell-shaped jar is placed over a beaker of water. The inside of the jar is hooked up to a vacuum pump. When the pump is turned on, a vacuum is created within the jar. As the pressure is lowered, the water in the beaker appears to boil. But no heat is being applied to the beaker. Explain how the water boils without being heated?

91

05 VAPOR PRESSURE

AND INTERMOLECULAR

F O R C E S L A B A C T I V -

92