Lab - Flick Your Bic:

Determining the Molar Mass of Butane

Objective: Determine the g-molar mass of butane gas.

Materials: 250 mL graduated cylinder, large bowl, butane lighter, thermometer, balance

Procedure:

1. Obtain a butane lighter. Submerge the lighter in water. Dry the lighter completely and
determine the mass. Record.

2. Fill a 250 mL graduated cylinder COMPLETELY with water. Cover the mouth of the cylinder
with your hand and invert the cylinder into a bowl of water. Be sure that the cylinder contains no
air bubbles in the process (otherwise try again).

3. Submerge the lighter into the water and hold the lighter up towards the mouth of the Vapor Pressure
cylinder. Press the release button on the lighter to allow butane gas to bubble through of H2O
the water.

4. Collect between 200 and 230 mL of gas in the graduated cylinder. Be sure not to
allow the cylinder to submerge out of the water level in the bowl.

5. Place a thermometer in the bowl of water for 2-3 minutes. Record the temperature of
the water. [Temperature of water = Temperature of butane]

6. Equalize the water level inside the graduated cylinder with the water outside the
cylinder by gently moving the cylinder up or down (or by adding or removing water
from the bowl). Then record the volume of the gas in the cylinder.

7. Record the atmospheric pressure as given to you.

[Atmospheric pressure = Pressure inside the cylinder]

8. Dry the lighter thoroughly (as you did in procedure 1). Find and record the mass.

9. Disposal of butane gas: Lift out your cylinder to let the water out into the bowl and
QUICKLY cover the opening of the cylinder with your hand. Take the cylinder to the
fume hood and release the butane gas.

Things to consider:

1. What “other” gas was present in the cylinder with the butane? _____________________

2. Determine the pressure of this “other” gas. _____________________

In your own words, write the PURPOSE of the lab.

In your own words, write a step-by-step PROCEDURE guide to performing the lab.

Create a DATA TABLE of all related observations and measurements you took in the lab.

CALCULATIONS (include all work and necessary units):

1. Calculate the pressure of the butane alone.

2. Use the combined gas law to determine the volume (in L) of butane at STP.

3. Use Avogadro’s law to determine the number of moles of butane gas. Assume that butane is an
ideal gas and that 1 mole has a volume of 22.4 L at STP.

4. Calculate the g-molar mass of butane.

Determine the % ERROR knowing that butane is C4H10 in the % error section.

Discuss 2 sources of error as well as 1 improvement in the ERROR ANALYSIS section.

Write a CONCLUSION summarizing your result.

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:

1. What would be the effect on the molar mass of butane if the lighter was not dried adequately
at the end of the lab? Explain.

2. What would be the effect on the molar mass of butane if a large air bubble was trapped in the
graduated cylinder at the beginning of the lab? Explain.