SURVEY OF CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I

CHEM 1151L

DETERMINATION OF THE DENSITY OF WATER

 CAUTION!!!
BE SURE TO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AT
ALL
TIMES IN THE LABORATORY
NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE!
 DETERMINATION OF THE
DENSITY OF WATER
This experiment is designed for students to

- familiarize themselves with common measuring devices in the

laboratory
- demonstrate an understanding of mathematical and computer
skills (graphing, linear equations, slopes and intercepts)

Measuring Devices to be Used

- Thermometer
- Mass balance
- Graduated cylinder
- Buret
 DENSITY
- The amount of mass in a unit volume of a substance
mass
Density =
volume

Units
Solids: grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3)
Liquids: grams per milliliter (g/mL)
Gases: grams per liter (g/L)

- Density of 1.00 g/mL implies 1.00 grams per 1 mL

- Density usually changes with change in temperature

 MASS MEASUREMENT
- Mass is the amount of matter in an
object

- SI unit is the gram (g)

- The mass balance is used to measure

the mass of samples in the
laboratory

- The mass rather than the weight of a

sample is measured
 VOLUME MEASUREMENT

Volume is the amount of space

that the matter takes up

Unit: milliliter (mL)

Measuring Devices
- Buret
- Graduated Cylinder
 MASS AN OBJECT

- Mass any object on you

(watch, ring, coin, necklace,
etc.)

- Record all digits shown on

the mass balance
(DO NOT ROUND-OFF)
 ROOM TEMPERATURE

- Measure the room temperature using

a thermometer

- Hold thermometer upright

(do not touch the bulb)

- Take the reading to the nearest 0.1 oC

This reads 23.0 oC
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

Obtain

- a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask

- a 50 mL graduated cylinder

- Record all volumes to one

decimal place
 GRADUATED CYLINDER
- Fill the graduated cylinder with
distilled H20

- Fill to the 50.0 mL mark

- Read and record the initial volume

(one decimal place) of water in the
graduated cylinder

- Read at eye level and at the bottom of

the meniscus (the concave “crescent”
shaped surface of the liquid)
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Tare (zero) the mass balance

- Do this by pressing ‘TARE’

 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Mass the empty flask (should be dry)

 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Pour 10-15 mL of H20 from the

cylinder into the flask
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Read and record the volume of H20

remaining in the graduated
cylinder

- This is the final volume for trial 1

 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Measure and record the mass of

flask and H20
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Do not empty flask

- Final volume of trial 1 is the

initial volume of trial 2

- Pour another 10-15 mL of H20

from the cylinder into the flask

- Record the final volume for trial 2

 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Measure and record the mass of

flask and H20
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

- Repeat steps for the remaining trials without emptying the

flask

- Refill the graduated cylinder if necessary

(read and record new initial volume in such cases)
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

SAMPLE TABLE OF VALUES

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Initial Reading (mL) 50.0 39.5 28.5

Final Reading (mL) 39.5 28.5 18.5

Volume of H2O delivered (mL) 10.5 11.0 10.0

Total volume of H2O (mL) 10.5 21.5 31.5

Mass of the flask and H2O (g) 109.032 122.147 1132.014

 BURET

Obtain

- a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask

- a 50 mL buret

- Record all volumes to two

decimal places
 BURET

- Wash and rinse buret with faucet

water and with distilled water

- Allow water to drain through the tip

to rinse the tip

- Buret tip is closed when in

horizontal position and opened
when in vertical position
 BURET

- Obtain a stand and a buret clamp

- Put buret in place as shown

 BURET

- Use a small beaker to fill the buret

with distilled H20

- Do not use a funnel

- Fill past the 0.00 mL mark

- Open the tip in order to fill the tip

and eliminate bubbles
 BURET

- Read and record the initial volume

(two decimal places)

- Place a white card behind buret for

easy reading
 BURET

- Read at eye level and at the bottom of

the meniscus (the concave “crescent”
shaped surface of the liquid)

- Note that buret reading is the opposite

of that of the graduated cylinder

- For instance, the initial buret reading

would be 0.00 mL but not 50.00 mL
 BURET

- Each small graduation is 0.10 mL

- 10 graduations per 1.00 mL

 BURET

- Mass the empty flask (should be dry)

 BURET

- Allow 10-15 mL of H20 to drain into

the flask
 BURET

- Read and record the final buret

reading

- This is the final volume for trial 1

 BURET

- Measure and record the mass of

flask and H20
 BURET

- Do not empty flask

- Final volume of trial 1 is the

initial volume of trial 2

- Drain another 10-15 mL of H20

from the buret into the flask

- Record the final volume for trial 2

 BURET

- Measure and record the mass of

flask and H20
 BURET

- Repeat steps for the remaining trials without emptying the

flask

- Refill the buret if necessary

(read and record new initial volume in such cases)

- Note that you cannot go beyond the 50.00 mL mark

STOP and refill the buret
 GRADUATED CYLINDER

SAMPLE TABLE OF VALUES

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Final Reading (mL) 10.50 21.50 31.50

Initial Reading (mL) 0.00 10.50 21.50

Volume of H2O delivered (mL) 10.50 11.00 10.00

Total volume of H2O (mL) 10.50 21.50 31.50

Mass of the flask and H2O (g) 109.032 122.147 1132.014

 DATA ANALYSIS
- Construct two graphs using Microsoft Excel’s Chart
Wizard
- Graph 1 – Graduated cylinter
- Graph 2 – Buret

- Draw a trendline (the best straight line) for each

- Horintal axis is the Volume axis
- Vertical axis is the Mass
- Label all axes (with correct units) and give titles
- Include equations of the trendlines

- Answer all questions that follow