Chemistry Lab Report

Experiment (8): Determining The Molar Mass Of A Gas

1- Aim: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the molar

mass and density of a gas using ideal gas law.

2- Introduction: In the gas phase, all substance show similar

physical behavior. Volumes of different gases respond in almost exactly
the same way to changes in amount, in pressure or in temperature.
(Boyles Law): PV = constant
(Charless Law): V/T = constant
(Avagadros Hypothesis): V/n = constant
Ideal Gas Law: Combining the relationship above yields (PV=nRT).

3- Apparatus and Chemical:

Volumetric flask, Stopper, Beaker, Gas cylinder,
Apparatus
Delivery tube, Distilled water bottle.
Chemical Distilled water, unknown Gas.

4- Discussion:
1- Get instructions from your instructor on how to operate the Gas
Cylinder there will be some values you must not touch.
2- Weigh a dry volumetric flask together with its stooper to the
nearest 0.001 g. Record the mass on your data sheet.
3- Remove the stopper, insert the glass delivery tube from the gas
cylinder or generator so that it reaches the bottom of the flask, and
open the valve so that the gas passes through for at least one minute.
Keep the flask upright throughout.
4- Slowly remove the delivery tube and quickly close the flask with the
stopper.

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5- Weigh the flask with the stopper again to the nearest 0.001 g.
Preferably, using the same balance used in step 2 throughout the
experiment.
6- Repeat steps 3,4 and 5 and check that there is no further change in
mass. If this is not the case, repeat these steps again, if necessary,
until the mass is constant.
7- Fill the flask with water and insert the stopper, so that the excess
water is pushed out. Dry the outside of the flask and weigh it, full of
water, on a balance to the nearest 0.1 g.
8- Note room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

5- Results & Calculation:

1- Mass of flask filled with air, m1 = 61.287 g.
2- Mass of flask filled with gas, m 2 = (61.353+61.348)/2 = 61.350 g.
3- Mass of flask filled with water, m 3 = 160.786 g.
4- Room Temperature, T = 21 C.
5- Atmospheric Pressure, P = 1 atm = 760 mmHg.
6- Density of air under conditions of experiment, d air = 0.00122 g/cm 3
7- Mass of water, m water = m 3 m 1 = 160.786 61.287 = 99.500 g
8- Volume of flask, V = volume of water = m water/d water = 99.50/1.00 =
99.50 mL.
9- Volume of air = Volume of flask = V = 99.50 mL
10- Mass of air, m air = d air *V = 0.00122*99.50 = 0.121 g
11- Mass of empty flask, m flask= m1 m air= 61.287 0.121= 61.166g.
12- Mass of gas, m gas = m 2 m flask = 61.350 61.166 = 0.184 g.
13- Molar mass of the gas, MM = m gas RT/PV =
(0.184*0.0821*294)/(1*0.099) = 44.86 g/mol.
14- The gas is: CO2
15- Actual molar mass of the gas calculated from the periodic table =
44.01 g
16- % error = |44.86 - 44.01|/44.01*100 = 1.93 %

6- Conclusion: We learn from this experiment how to determine

the molar mass of a gas that was 44.86 its almost the molar mass of
CO2. There is an error which has 1.93 %, this mean we are not weighing
the mass of gas exatuly or we added more water in the flask.

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 7- Questions:

1- What value does the experiment give for the molecular

mass of gas? Identify the gas.

- 44.86 g/mol ,The gas is CO2.

2- In Step (4) why where you told to remove the delivery

tube slowly?

- To prevent the gas from escape and maximum amount of it. Also, to
get good results.

3- Why is a less accurate balance adequate for weighing the

flask full of water?

- Because the weight of water is big and not affect by less or more
accurate measurement, but the weight of the air and the gas is very
small that affect by accurate number of balance has.

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