JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA

DAKSHINA KANNADA

CHEMISTRY
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
DETERMINATION OF MOLAR
MASS
NAME OF THE CANDIDATE : ABHINAV H K
CLASS : XII
ROLL NUMBER :
 JAWAHAR NAVODAYA
VIDYALAYA
DAKSHINA KANNADA

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this bonafied project work in the subject of

CHEMISTRY has been done by Abhinav H K of class XII in the

academic year 2019-2020 and submitted to the A.I.S.S.C.E practical

examination conducted by CBSE.

Teacher In Charge Principal

Internal Examiner External Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I hereby acknowledge my deep gratitude and

indebtedness to the following personalities whose
immense help, guidance, encouragement, necessary
suggestion ,initiation ,enthusiasm and inspiration made
this work a master art and a joint enterprise.

Mr. V Srinivasan (Principal)

Mrs. Rekha ashok (Vice Principal)
Mr. Nayak Uday (PGT Chemistry)
(Lab Assistant)

All other Teachers , My classmates & friends.

DETERMINATION OF
MOLAR MASS

Aim:
To determine the
molecular mass of
naphthalene by Rast’s
Method
REQUIREMENTS:
Materials required:

 Thermometer
 Test tubes
 Beaker
 Capillary tube
 Fusion tube
 Burner
 Tripod stand
 Thread

Chemicals required:
 Camphor
 Naphthalene
 Liquid paraffin wax
THEORY:

The basis of Rast’s method of determining

molecular masses is the use of camphor as a
solvent.

Advantages of using camphor as a solvent:

1. Camphor has high value of freezing point

depression constant Kf i.e.37.7Kkg/mol for 1 mole
of solute in 1000g of solvent. Thus a 10% solution
of solute in camphor will have a melting point
several degrees lower than that of pure camphor
and the depression can be measured fairly,
accurately with an ordinary thermometer.

2. it’s a good solvent for most of the substances.

Rast’s method can be used for those solutes which
are soluble in camphor and do not chemically react
or decompose when heated to the melting point of
camphor.

Advantages of Rast’s method:

1. Quick
2. Needs no special apparatus.
3. Requires small amount of material.

PROCEDURE:
1. Preparation of solid solution of camphor and naphthalene

A pre-weighed watch glass is taken. Using chemical

balance 1g of naphthalene and 2g of camphor is weighed on
watch glass. Both the weighed substances are poured into a
test tube. The mouth of test tube is closed using a rubber cork
and mixture is heated until the solid inside turns into boiling
liquid. Then the test tube is cooled in a water bath. While
heating, the test tube is rotated with a moderate speed to allow
proper mixing of these two components. After solidification of
the liquid, this solid mass is taken out and is powdered finely.
This is the solid solution of camphor and naphthalene where
camphor is a solvent and naphthalene is solute.

2. Determination of melting point of pure camphor and of

mixture:
 The powdery substance (of the solid solution) is filled in a
capillary tube sealed at one end. This capillary tube is attached
to a thermometer using thread and thermometer with capillary
tube is immersed in liquid paraffin bath. The beaker is heated
slowly and paraffin liquid is stirred so that temperature remains
uniform throughout. For this, a glass loop stirrer is moved up
and down. Temperature is noted when the mixture starts
melting. Temperature is noted again when it is completely
melted. Average of two readings gives melting point of the
mixture.
Similarly the melting point of pure camphor is
recorded.

DETERMINATION OF MELTING POINT

Observation and calculation:
Weight of naphthalene = 1g (w2)
Weight of camphor = 2g (w1)
Melting point of mixture (T1) = 290C + 310C = 300C
2
Melting point of camphor (T2) = 160 C + 1800C = 1700C
0

2
Tf = T2 - T1
= 1700C - 300C =1400C

Molal depression constant for camphor, Kf = 37.7Kkgmol-1

Kf × w2 × 1000
Tf =
M2 × w1

Kf × w2 × 1000
M2=
T f × w1

37.7 × 1 × 1000 37700

134.64g/mol.
M2= = =
140 × 2 280

134.64g/mol.
M naphthalene =
 Result :
Molecular mass of
naphthalene found by
Rast’s method is

134.64g/mol.

PRECAUTIONS:
 While heating care should be taken so
that test tube should not get busted out.
 Dry and powdered sample should be used
for the determination of melting point.
 The bulb of the thermometer and the
capillary sticking to it should not touch the
side or the bottom of the beaker.
 Rubber band should not be used for attaching
the capillary tube to the thermometer.

SUGGESTED PROJECTS:
Molecular mass of other substances
can be found out.
 Experiment can be done using different
solvents and solutes.

Similarly the method of elevation of

boiling point can be used to find
molecular mass of different substances.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 NCERT text book of class XII

 An introduction to practical Chemistry by
K.K.Sharma, D.S.Shrma.

 Comprehensive Chemistry practical book for

class XII.