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Tabel Percentage by Volume Vs Densty of Alcohol
Tabel Percentage by Volume Vs Densty of Alcohol
Procedure
Ethanol/water solutions of the following concentrations (% by vol.), 30%, 45%,
50%, 60%, 75%, 85%, and 95%, were prepared using volumetric glassware and pipets.
From each solution, 5.00 mL aliquots were weighed to the nearest 0.001 g. Table 1 shows
the mass and calculated density of each solution. Subsequently, a 5-mL aliquot of the
unknown, Monarch whiskey, was weighed to the nearest 0.001g and the density
determined:
mass whiskey = 4.710 g
density whiskey = 0.942 g/mL
Data
Table 1: Mass and density of ethanol/water solutions.
% Ethanol (vol.)
30
45
50
60
75
85
95
Mass (g)
4.751
4.470
4.581
4.505
4.280
4.191
4.000
Density (g/mL)
0.950
0.894
0.916
0.901
0.856
0.838
0.800
4.7505 g/5.00 mL
0.950 g/mL
A graph (Graph 1) was prepared by plotting solution density vs. percentage by volume
ethanol.
1
0.95
0.9
0.85
0.8
y = -0.0021x + 1.0124
R2 = 0.9336
0.75
20
40
60
80
100
Results
A linear fit of the data was done using MS Excel. The equation of the best fit line
was found to be:
y = -0.0021x + 1.0124
or in other words, density of the solution =(-0.0021)(percentage alcohol) + 1.0124
The percentage alcohol in whiskey was determined by rearranging this equation and
using the calculated density of whiskey:
percentage alcohol density of the solution -1.0124)-0.0021)
Discussion
Determination of the concentration of the components of a mixture can often be
done utilizing indirect methods. This experiment was performed for the purpose of
determining the alcohol content (percentage by volume) of whiskey by measuring its
density. Whiskey is a mixture of water, ethanol, and various other substances that
influence the flavor and color. The densities of pure water and pure ethanol are known,
but when the two are combined, the density of the resulting solution is a function of the
ratio of the quantities of the two substances.
Monarch brand whiskey was determined experimentally to have a density of
0.942 g/mL, which correlated to 46% ethanol by volume. This result contrasts somewhat
with the 40% value stated on the bottle. Before jumping to the conclusion that the bottle
had been mislabeled, it is important to consider the many sources of error that were
present in the experimental procedure.
Conclusion
Monarch brand whiskey was experimentally determined to have a density of
0.942 g/mL, which correlated to 46% ethanol by volume. This represents a 6% deviation
from the 40% ethanol content (by vol.) reported on the label.
Reference Citations
1 Miller,