The Molar Mass of a Volatile Liquid
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
One of the properties that helps characterize a substance is its molar mass. If the substance in question is a volatile liquid, a common method to determine its molar mass is to use the ideal gas law, PV = nRT. Because the liquid is volatile, it can easily be converted to a gas. While the substance is in the gas phase, you can measure its volume, pressure, and temperature. You can then use the ideal gas law to calculate the number of moles of the substance. Finally, you can use the number of moles of the gas to calculate molar mass.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Evaporate a sample of a liquid substance and measure certain physical properties of the substance as it condenses.
- Determine the molar mass of an unknown liquid.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Advanced Chemistry with Vernier »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.