EXERCISE 1

There are several methods on how to determine molecular weight of a

volatile liquid. Some of these are _________________________. In the exercise, vapourdensity method, a method that vaporizes a substance to fill a measured volume at a
known pressure and temperature, will be utilized. Examples of the said method are
________________________________.
In the early 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Dumas, a distinguished French
chemist, created a relatively simple method for determining the molecular mass of
a volatile substance (Gallogly, n.d.). Dumas bulb method is one of the most
practical procedures to employ for molecular weight determine. The method
requires less effort and time compared to other experimental set-ups for
determination of molecular weight. A liquid substance of known volume and mass is
positioned inside a Dumas bulb. The bulb is then submerged in a hot-water bath.
This gives the necessary heat and energy to evaporate the liquid. Since a boiling
water bath will be utilized to maintain a constant gas temperature, only liquids with
normal boiling point below 100oC can be used (Petersen, n.d.). Once complete
evaporation is achieved, proven by the disappearance of the Schlieren jet, the bulb
is immediately sealed, cooled, and weighed. Atmospheric pressure and water bath
temperature are measured and documented. The mass of the vapour is also
calculated. An assumption that the ___________________________________.
Another method for molecular weight determination is the Victor Meyer
method. A measured amount of liquid is vaporized with the goal of displacing an
equivalent volume of air from a volatilizing tube. The air is then accumulated over
mercury or water. Its volume is measured at barometric pressure and at a known
temperature.
Lastly, in this experiment, temperature-monitored vapour-density method
(TMVD) will be employed. The experiment ensures
the______________________________.
The methods for molecular weight determination are illustrations of
application of the Ideal Gas Law. The Idea Gas Law definition (Atkins,__). With the
manipulation of the said equation of state, a formula in determining the molecular
weight through the measurement of the three variables namely temperature,
pressure, and volume can be derived.
PV=nRT = mRT/M
1.1)
M= mRT/PV
(Equation 1.2)
where

M= molecular weight
R= ideal gas constant (.0821 L.atm/mol. K)
P=barometric pressure
T=absolute temperature
V=volume of the container
M=mass of the vapour in the container

(Equation

Equation 1.2 is also called the vapour density form of the Ideal Gas Law. With
the other three variables known, a value for molecular weight can be determined.
After this exercise, the experimenters should be able to illustrate one of the
wide application of the ideal gas equation, specifically molecular weight
determination. Also, the experiments should be able to identify the approximate
value of the molecular weight of the substance through the TMWD method.