Molar Mass Determination

By Freezing Point Depression

Aljoie Rose G. Igros
Michael Luke T. Mangussad
Lorraine D. Nazareno
Karle Maverick L. Rodriguez
De La Salle University-Dasmarias
Dasmarias, Cavite Philippines
ABSTRACT
The experiment was performed in order to demonstrate the colligative property of solutions using freezing
point depression and to utilize freezing point depression in determining the molar mass of an unknown
substance. Colligative properties of solutions are responsible for higher boiling point, lower vapour
pressure and a lower freezing point than the pure solvent because they depend on the amount of solute
particles present in the solution. Some of the colligative properties are vapour pressure lowering, osmotic
pressure as well as boiling point elevation and freezing point depression. Freezing point depression is
described as the difference of the freezing point of the pure solvent and the freezing point of the solution.
In order to attain the objectives, the experiment is divided into two fragments. Substances used were
stearic acid and benzoic acid. The first part of the experiment was performed in order to determine the
freezing point of pure stearic acid. In an ignition tube, 1.0 g of stearic acid was melted through heating
water in a water bath. The melted stearic acid was then allowed to cool after it melted. Recording of
temperature every thirty seconds started when the temperature of the stearic acid begins to drop and
continued recording until it became impossible to stir. A cooling curve was drawn to plot the graph of the
temperature by the time to determine the freezing point of stearic acid. The second and last part of the
experiment was done to aid in determining the molar mass of benzoic acid. This was done by using 0.5 g
of benzoic acid added to the same ignition tube where the stearic acid solidified. The ignition tube was
then heated in a water bath until the solution is completely melted. The melted solution of stearic and
benzoic acid was allowed to cool after it melted. Recording of temperature every thirty seconds started
when the temperature of the solution begins to drop and stopped recording until it became impossible to
stir. A cooling curve was also drawn to plot the graph of the temperature by the time to determine the
freezing point of the solution of stearic and benzoic acid. The stearic acid, with 87C as where its
temperature started to drop, after twelve minutes, was impossible to stir at 68C indicating its freezing
point. The temperature of the solution of stearic and benzoic acid started to drop at 86.8C and after
thirty one minutes and thirty seconds gave the freezing point of 56C. The observed molar mass of
benzoic acid was 170.45 g/mol and the calculated molar mass of benzoic acid was 122.13 g/mol giving
the percent difference of 39.56%. The addition of the benzoic acid solute to the stearic acid solution
causes the vapour pressure to decrease. This decrease in vapor pressure and increase in solute present
causes the freezing point to become lower when mixed in the solution. The H+ ions within the benzoic
acidcause the freezing point to lower because the ions act to disrupt the bonds between the particles.
INTRODUCTION
The properties of a solution differ considerably from those of the pure solvent. Those solution
properties that depend primarily on the concentration of solute particles rather than their nature are called
colligative properties; properties include vapor pressure lowering, osmotic pressure, boiling point
elevation, and freezing point depression.
When a solution of a nonvolatile solute is heated, it does not begin to boil until the temperature
exceeds the boiling point of the solvent. The difference in temperature is called the boiling point elevation.
When a solution is cooled, it does not begin to freeze until a temperature below the freezing point of the

pure solvent is reached. The freezing point lowering, ?Tf, is defined to be a positive quantity. Boiling point
elevation and freezing point lowering, like vapor pressure lowering, are colligative properties. They are
directly proportional to solute concentration, generally expressed as molality. The proportionality
constants in these equations, kb and kf, are called the molal boiling point constant and the molal freezing
point constant, respectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For the determination of the freezing point of a compound, 1.0 g of stearic acid was used. It was
placed in a dry test tube and covered with a two-hole cork, which fits for a stirring wire and a thermometer.
The test tube was heated in the water bath until all of the acid has melted. The apparatus were allowed
to cool slowly while stirring the stearic acid occasionally with an up-and-down motion using the wire
stirrer. When the temperature dropped 1 degree Celsius, the time and temperature were read and
recorded every 30 seconds until the acid becomes impossible to stir. The freezing point is observed and
noted when the temperature remained constant for several minutes. A cooling curve was prepared after
the experiment by plotting the graph of temperature.
For the determination of the molar mass of a compound, 0.5 g of benzoic acid was used and
added to the test tube containing the stearic acid. The ignition tube containing the two acids was heated
as described in procedure a. The freezing point of the mixture of stearic acid and benzoic acid was
observed and noted after preparing a cooling curve of the mixture.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The equation Tf = Kfm describes the freezing point depression of a solution, where T f is equal
to the difference of the freezing point of the pure solvent and the freezing point of the solution. T f is
directly proportional to the concentration of particles expressed as the molality of the solute in the
solution. By using a solute of known molar mass, the molal freezing point of a particular solvent can be
determined. The molality and the molar mass of an unknown compound can also be determined by
measuring the freezing point depression of a solution of the unknown in the same solvent. The sample
used in the experiment for determining the freezing point is the stearic acid. Table 1 summarizes the
measured mass of the stearic acid and the specific time where the sample dropped in temperature. For
every 30 seconds, its temperature was recorded. Based on the results, the constant temperature where
heat has been removed to convert the melted stearic acid to solid was 68C after 10 minutes and 30
seconds. It remained at 68C at the first 12 minutes and started to drop again 30 seconds after. Graph 1.
illustrates the drop of temperature of stearic acid every minute.
Table 1.
Dry Test tube
Test tube and Stearic acid
Stearic acid
Time
Temperature
30 s
87C

Mass
38.1 g
39.2 g
1.1 g
Time
10:00 min

Temperature
69C

1:30 min

83C

10:30 min

68C

5:00 min

77C

11:30 min

68C

6:30 min

75C

12:00 min

68C

9:30 min

70C

12:30 min

67C

Graph 1.

Table 2 summarizes the mass of the benzoic acid and the time and temperature of the mixture of
benzoic acid and stearic acid as it drops in temperature which was recorded after 30 seconds. Based on
the results, the constant temperature where heat has been removed to convert the melted mixture of
stearic acid and benzoic acid to solid was 56C after 30 minutes. It remained at 56C, 1 minute and 30
seconds aftere and started to drop again after 30 seconds. Graph 2. illustrates time and the drop of
temperature of stearic acid and benzoic acid every minute.
Table 2.
Mass
0.5 g

Benzoic acid
Time
30 s

Temperature
86.8C

Time
23:00 min

Temperature
61C

1:30 min

85C

30:00 min

56C

4:00 min

81C

30:30 min

56C

8:00 min

76C

31:00 min

56C

14:30 min

68.5C

31:30 min

56C

Graph 2.

Table 3 summarizes the freezing point of stearic acid based on the first part of the experiment, the
freezing point of the solution, molality, the number of moles of benzoic acid, the observed and calculated
molar mass of benzoic acid and the percent difference. Based on the results, the freezing point of stearic
acid and the solution was 68C and 56C respectively. The molality of the solution was calculated using
the formula Tf - Tf = Kfm which was 2.0 m. The number of moles of benzoic acid was also solved using the
formula of molality where the number of moles of solute/ kilograms of solvent. The observed molar mass
of benzoic acid was calculated by dividing the product of the weight of benzoic acid and the K f stearic acid
over the Tf and the weight of stearic acid. Based on the outcome, the % difference was quite large,
maybe because of the inaccuracy on measuring the mass and temperature of the samples.
Table 3.
Freezing point of stearic acid, Tf
Freezing point of solution, Tf
Molality of solution
Number of moles of benzoic acid
Kf stearic acid
Observed molar mass of benzoic acid
Calculated molar mass of benzoic acid
% difference

68C
56C
2.0 m
2.2x10-3 moles
4.5C/m
170.45 g/mol
122.13 g/mol
39.56 %

Generally, the accomplishment of the experiment was achieved by performing the procedures
with caution especially on melting the samples and recording its temperature every 30 seconds.
Measuring inaccurately on the samples used and presence of impurities on the test tube may also
contribute to inaccuracy of the results.
REFERENCES
(1) Masterton, L. M., Hurley, C. N., Neth, E. J. (2012). CHEMISTY PRINIPLES AND REACTIONS.
California: Belmont

(2) Chang, R. (2007). CHEMISTRY 10th EDITION. New York

(3) chem.purdue.edu. (2014). Determining Molar Mass
Retrieved October 1, 2014 from
http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/howtosolveit/Solutions/determinemolarmass.html
(4) web.centre.edu. (2014). Determination of Molar Mass by Freezing Point Depression
Retrieved October 1, 2014 from
http://web.centre.edu/miles/che135/che135labs/Colligative%20properties.htm
(5) Schell, L. A. (2014). Experiment Two: Freezing Point Depression
Retrieved October 1, 2014 from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11490515/Experiment-Two-Freezing-Point-Depression