Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

Activity C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound The

Dumas Bulb Method
(Pressure Sensor, Temperature Sensor)

Concept DataStudio ScienceWorkshop ScienceWorkshop

(Mac) (Win)
The Mole C24 Molecular C24 Dumas Bulb C24_DUMA.SWS
Mass.DS

Equipment Needed Qty Equipment Needed Qty

Pressure Sensor (CI-6532A) 1 Rubber stopper, two-hole 1
Temperature Sensor (CI-6505A) 1 Thermometer (SE-9084) 1
Beaker, 1 L 1 Tubing, plastic (w/sensor) 1
Bottle or flask, 250 mL 2 Protective gear PS
Connector, rubber stopper (w/sensor) 1
Coupling, quick-release (w/sensor) 1 Chemicals and Consumables Qty
Graduated cylinder, 10 mL 1 Acetone 1 mL
Graduated cylinder, 100 mL 1 Glycerin 1 mL
Hot plate 1 Water 600
mL
What Do You Think?
Inthisactivity,aknownmassofavolatileliquidisplacedinasealedcontainer.Theliquidis
thenplacedinawaterbathofknowntemperaturesothattheliquidvaporizesandfillsthe
container.Knowingthemass,thetemperature,pressureandthevalueofR,theGasConstant,
canyouusetheIdealGasLawtodeterminethemolecularmassoftheliquid?
TaketimetoanswertheWhatDoYouThink?question(s)intheLabReportsection.
Background
Themolecularmass(gramspermole)ofacompoundisoneofthemost
importantvariablesneededtoidentifyandcharacterizeachemical.The
molecularmassofanunknowncompoundallowsachemisttodeterminethe
molecularformulaofthecompound.Themolecularformulacanthenbeused
todeterminethestructureandpossiblephysicalandchemicalpropertiesofthe
compound.
OneoftheearliestmethodsofdeterminingthemolecularmassofacompoundistheDumas
Bulbmethod.Thismethodusesarigidcontainerofknownvolume.Thepressureand
temperatureofavolatileliquidaremeasured,andtheIdealGasLawisusedtodeterminethe
numberofmolesofthesubstance.

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A

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InthisarrangementoftheIdealGasLaw,nisthenumberofmoles,Pisthepressurein
atmospheres,Visthevolumeinliters,RistheGasConstant,andTistheabsolutetemperature.
SAFETY REMINDERS
Wear protective gear.
Follow directions for using the equipment.
Handle and dispose of all chemicals and solutions
properly.

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A
For You To Do
Prepare the Water Bath

Makeawaterbathofabout600mLofwaterina1literbeaker.Heatthewaterbathto65C
andmaintainthistemperature.Useathermometertochecktheprogressofthewaterbathas
yousetuptherestoftheequipment.
UsethePressureSensortomeasurethechangeinvaporpressureinarigidcontainerandusethe
TemperatureSensortomeasurethechangeoftemperatureinsidethecontainer.First,measure
thechangeforasampleofairwhenthecontainerisimmersedinhotwater.Thenmeasurethe
changesforasampleofairmixedwithvaporizedacetone.UseDataStudioorScienceWorkshop
torecordanddisplaythedata.Usethedatatodeterminethemolecularmassoftheliquid.
PART I: Computer Setup
1. ConnecttheScienceWorkshopinterfacetothecomputer,
turnontheinterface,andturnonthecomputer.
2. ConnecttheDINplugoftheTemperatureSensortoAnalog
ChannelAontheinterface.ConnecttheDINplugofthe
PressureSensortoAnalogChannelBontheinterface.
3. Openthefiletitledasshown;
DataStudio ScienceWorkshop ScienceWorkshop
(Mac) (Win)
C24 Molecular C24 Dumas Bulb C24_DUMA.SWS
Mass.DS

TheDataStudiofilehasaGraphdisplay.ReadtheWorkbookdisplayformore
information.
TheScienceWorkshopdocumenthasaGraphdisplaywithaplotofthepressureversus
timeandaplotofthetemperatureversustime.
Datarecordingissetattenmeasurementspersecond(10Hz).Datameasurementissetto
stopautomaticallyat120seconds.
PART II: Sensor Calibration and Equipment Setup
You do not need to calibrate the sensors.
Set Up the Equipment

Forthispartyouwillneedthefollowing:glycerin,quickreleasecoupling,connector,
plastictubing,twoholerubberstopper,TemperatureSensor,PressureSensor.

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1. Putadropofglycerinonthebarbendofa
quickreleasecoupling.Puttheendofthe
quickreleasecouplingintooneendofa
pieceofplastictubing(about15cm)that
CONNECTOR
comeswiththePressureSensor. (640-030)

2. Putadropofglycerinonthebarbendoftheconnector.Pushthebarb RUBBER
endoftheconnectorintotheotherendoftheplastictubing. STOPPER

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Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

3. Fittheendoftheconnectorintooneoftheholesintherubberstopper.
4. PutadropofglycerinintotheotherholeofthestopperandslidetheTemperatureSensor
throughthehole.

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A
5. Alignthequickreleasecouplingontheendofthe
plastictubingwiththepressureportofthePressure
Sensor.Pushthecouplingontotheport,andthenturn
thecouplingclockwiseuntilitclicks(aboutone
eighthturn).

PressureSensorandTemperatureSensorwithtwoholerubberstopper.
PART IIIA: Data Recording Air Only
1. Whenyouarereadytobegin,placethetwoholerubberstopperwithsensorsintothetopof
thefirstbottleandplacethebottleinthehotwaterbath.
2. Startrecordingdata.(Hint:ClickStartinDataStudioorclickRECin
ScienceWorkshop.)
3. Allowtheheatingtocontinuefor120seconds.
4. Removethebottlefromthehotwaterbath.Slowlyopenthebottletoallowtheheatedairto
escape.
5. Removetherubberstopperfromthefirstbottle.
PART IIIB: Data Recording Air and Acetone
1. Put0.3mLofacetoneinthesecondbottle.
2. Placethetwoholerubberstopperwithsensorsinto
thetopofthesecondbottleandplacethebottlein
thehotwaterbath.
3. Startrecordingdata.Allowtheheatingtocontinue
for120seconds.
4. Removethebottlefromthehotwaterbath.Slowly
openthebottletoallowthevaporstoescape.
5. Rinsethebottle.

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6. Usethelargegraduatedcylindertoaddwatertothebottletodeterminetheactualvolume
ofthebottle.RecordthevolumeintheLabReportsection.(Hint:Besuretoaccountfor
thespaceoccupiedbythebottomofthestopperandbythesensor.)

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A
Analyzing the Data
TheGraphhastwoplotsshowingpressureandtemperaturedataforairaloneandpressure
andtemperaturedataforairandacetone.
1. UsetheGraphsanalysistoolstofindthemaximumpressurefortheairalone,the
maximumpressurefortheairandacetone,andthefinaltemperatureoftheairandacetone.
(Hint:UsetheSmartToolinDataStudioortheSmartCursorinScienceWorkshop.Or,
usetheStatisticsmenutoselectMaximum.)
2. RecordthevaluesformaximumpressureandtemperatureintheLabReportsection.
3. Convertthevaluesofpressurefromkilopascalstoatmospheres(1atm=101kPa).Convert
thevalueoftemperaturefromCelsiustoKelvin(K=273+C).Convertthevolumeofthe
containerfrommilliliterstoliters(1L=1000mL).
4. Convertthevolumeoftheacetonetoamassusingthedensityofacetone(0.79g/mL).
5. Usethedatatodeterminethenumberofmolesofacetoneandthencalculatethemolecular
massoftheacetone.
Record your results in the Lab Report section.

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Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

Lab Report - Activity C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a

Compound The Dumas Bulb Method
What Do You Think?
Inthisactivity,aknownmassofavolatileliquidisplacedinasealedcontainer.Theliquidis
thenplacedinawaterbathofknowntemperaturesothattheliquidvaporizesandfillsthe
container.Knowingthemass,thetemperature,pressureandthevalueofR,theGasConstant,
canyouusetheIdealGasLawtodeterminethemolecularmassoftheliquid?
Answerswillvary.
Data and Calculations

Data Measurement Value

1 Maximum pressure of air alone kPa
2 Maximum pressure of air and acetone kPa
3 Change in pressure (Data 2 - Data 1) kPa
4 Change in pressure in atmospheres atm
(Data 3 x 1 atm/101 kPa)
5 Final temperature of air and acetone C
6 Final temperature in K K
(Data 5 + 273)
7 Volume of gas in mL mL
8 Volume of gas in L L
(Data 7 x 1 Liter/1000 mL)
9 Gas Constant, R 0.082 atm L/mole K
10 Mass of acetone (0.3 mL x 0.79 g/mL) g

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A
11 Moles of acetone ( moles

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Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

12 Molecular mass of acetone (g/mole) g/mole

13 % difference (See below) %

C24 1999 PASCO scientific p. 235

Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A

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Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

Question
1. Whatisthepercentdifferencebetweenyourmeasuredvalueandtheacceptedvalueforthe
molecularmassofacetone?

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Chemistry Labs with Computers Student Workbook
C24: Determine the Molecular Mass of a Compound
012-07005A

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