National University of Sciences and Technology

School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering (SMME)

ME-232 Thermodynamics Lab (Spring 2024)

Name: M. Muhaimin Zia, CMS: 405535

M. Zain ul Abideen, 408541
Mustafa Siddiqui, 429616
Zainab Hameed, 429467
Saiyed Muhammad Aqeel Abbas 423444

Section: C Group: 2

Lab Report 9: Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter

Aims and Objectives:

1. To determine the calorific value of benzoic acid.

Apparatus:

1. GDY-1A Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter

2. Mass Balance

Theory:
Figure 1: GDY-1A Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter
Boyle’s Law:
Boyle's Law describes the relationship between the pressure and volume of a gas at constant
temperature. The law states that at constant temperature, the pressure exerted by a gas is
inversely proportional to its volume. Mathematically, this can be expressed as:

1
P∝ or PV =constant
V

Where: P is the pressure of the gas and V is the volume of the gas.
This relationship implies that if the volume of a gas decreases, its pressure increases
proportionally, and vice versa, at constant temperature.
 Derivation:
According to kinetic theory, gas molecules are in constant motion, and exert pressure by
colliding with the walls of the container, which is the pressure of the gas. When the volume of
the container decreases, the gas molecules have less space to move, leading to an increase in
the frequency and intensity of their collisions with the container walls, resulting in higher
pressure.

Procedure:

The following procedure was followed in this experiment:

1. Depressurize the oxygen bomb calorimeter.

2. Wrap a small piece of Nickel-Chrome Fuse wire on the terminals inside the calorimeter cap.
3. Weigh 4g of Benzoic acid in a crucible and hang it in the calorimeter cap. Ensure that the fuse
wire is touching the benzoic acid.
4. Close the calorimeter cap and pressure it to 2-3 MPa.
5. Fill the jug with water so that the calorimeter is submerged upto 2/3 level. Weigh the amount
of water.
6. Place the jug inside the apparatus and connect the fuse ignition wire to the calorimeter cap.
7. Close the lid and insert the temperature measurement probe.
8. Press the ignite button on the control panel and let the temperature rise to a stable level.
9. When the temperature becomes stable, press the data button to display the data points of the
temperature rise.
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Results and Calculations:
Table 1: Recorded and Calculated data from the experiment.

Data Point Water

Temperature
(oC)
1 25.799
2 27.634
3 28.410
4 28.764
5 28.950
6 29.069
7 29.148
8 29.209
9 29.253

Specimen Calculation:

 Mass of Benzoic Acid= 4g

 Mass of water= 2445g
 Specific heat capacity of water (c)= 4.186 J/g°C

Q=mc ∆ T =2445 × 4.186 ×(29.253−25.799)=35,350 J

Results and Discussion:

As per the recorded and calculated data in Table 1, with increasing temperature difference, the
induced voltage also increased, in agreement with Seebeck effect. Moreover, the shape of the graph
in Figure 2 shows that temperature difference and induced voltage are directly proportional.

However, the possibility of errors such as: parallax error while reading the alcoholic thermometer,
may have led to slight anomalies in the readings.

Conclusion:

It is safe to conclude from the experiment that:

 Joining dissimilar metals and providing a temperature difference across the junctions causes
voltage to be induced.

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 Temperature difference and induced voltage are directly proportional.

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