Week 7-Colligative Properties Lab

Name(s): Laura Masho, Jackson Kunz, Marie Brashears, Evan Lincoln

Date: March 9, 2010

Goal & Theory: Grading Only: 1 2 3 4

The goal of this lab is to discover the molar mass of the unknown substances by calculating the
freezing point depressions and boiling point elevations.

Data and Results: Grading Only: 1 2 3 4

Compound 1 Compound 2 Compound 3

Mass of Substance 15.04 g 15.15 g 15.44 g
Boiling/Freezing Point 105.9 C -8.1 C 107.7 C
Change of 5.9 C 8.1 C 7.7 C
Temperature

Calculations: Grading Only: 1 2 3 4

Conclusion Questions: Grading Only: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

 1. The Vernier probes might continue to read an increasing temperature even after boiling
has begun (the released steam can still interact with the top of the probe). If this
happened, how would you know, by looking at the Vernier graph of temperature vs. time
that the solution has begun to boil? Explain.

You would know if the probes continued to read an increasing temperature even after boiling has
begun because the graph would level out when it begins boiling and then would continue to
increase a little later when there is enough steam to effect it significantly.

2. What would be better to sprinkle on a frozen walkway, one mole of magnesium

chloride or one mole of potassium chloride? Why? (Consider only colligative properties
and not cost, chemical hazards, etc)

One mole of magnesium chloride would be better to sprinkle on a frozen walkway because it
dissociates into more ions than potassium chloride, making the i value greater. This makes
the freezing point depression larger.

3. What, specifically, is the effect of a solute on ice? Does the ice melt because it gets
warmer?

Solute effects ice by lowering the freezing point of the ice. Ice doesn’t not melt because it gets
warmer, it melts because the freezing point is now lower.

4. What would be the effect on the experimental/calculated molar mass of your

compound if a significant amount of your solvent has boiled away? Be sure to show
how this would affect the calculations of your experimental molar mass mathematically,
writing out the appropriate equation(s) and showing the effect. Show your calculations
below.

If a significant amount of our solvent boiled away then the experimental/calculated molar mass
of our compound would increase because there would be less solvent thus a higher molality.

5. You run the compound in experiment 2 through a mass spectrometer to analyze the
composition. Only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are found. You find that the
sample contains 38.7% carbon and 9.68% hydrogen. What is the empirical formula of
the compound? Using your experimental data, what is the apparent molecular formula
of the compound? Show all work below.

Empirical Formula: C2H6O2

Molecular Formula: CH3O