Experiment #9: Determination of Molar Mass by Vapor Density

Finding the Molar Mass of Butane

Analysis:
1) The measurements that must be taken to find the molar mass of a gas using the vapor
density method are the pressure, volume, and temperature.
2) The reason water levels inside and outside the gas collection cylinder must be the same
before the volume of gas is measured and recorded is because the atmospheric pressure
must be the same as the inside of the tube. This is to make sure the volume of the gas if
being recorder correctly.
3) If a student failed to account for the partial pressure of water in the gas collection
cylinder, then this would make it cause partial pressure of the butane to be higher then it
truly is. This partial pressure would actually be the partial pressure of the room; which if
used in the equation, would cause the amount of moles of butane to be higher than usual.
4) ( 1.015 ) ( V )=( .00372 ) (.0821 ) ( 295.4 )
V =.08798 L∨87.98 ml
5) The reason for the dry volume of butane gas found in the previous equation to be less
than the wet volume measured earlier is because some of this volume is the water vapor.
6) If the lighter used by the student was not completely dry, then this would cause for a
higher measurement which when subtracted from the original would cause a lower mass
of the butane gas. If this was used in the equation to find the molar mass of butane, then
this would cause it to be significantly lower.

Pre-Lab Questions:

1.) There should be no open flames in the laboratory during this experiment because butane;
the liquid in the lighter which we are supposed to find the molar mass of, is highly
flammable hence it being used as lighter fluid. If a flame may occur, it can either use up
some of the butane that is being measured causing an incorrect measurement or in a worst
case scenario cause an explosion damaging property or hurting someone.
2.) The reason we need to ensure that there are no air bubbles in the inverted graduated
cylinder before the butane gas is added is because the air bubbles would increase the
volume of butane gas in the graduated cylinder when measured. If a higher measurement
is used, then this would cause the calculation of the molar mass to be lower then if the
correct volume was used. This is because, PV = ( )g
mm
RT .If the volume was higher (V),
then the RT would be divided by a larger number.
3.) The reason the butane must remain relatively insoluble in this lab is because when the
lighter is under water and beneath the inverted graduated cylinder and the butane is
released, it would just dissolve into the water before any of it would float up into the
cylinder. This would make it very hard to fill the cylinder up with butane and would
result in a higher percentage of water vapor in the gas rather then just the butane.