Gas Laws Lab

REFERENCES: Brown & Holme, Sections 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6

Gas laws describe the relationships between key variables characterizing gases, such
as pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), and moles (n). Some gas laws relate
only two variables at a time, others more:

Boyles Law: P1V1 = P2V2 (constant n,T) Charles’ Law: V1 = V2 (constant n,P)
T1 T2

Avogadro’s Law: V1 = V2 (constant P,T) Combined Gas Law: P1V1 = P2V2 (constant n)
n1 n2 T1 T2

Ideal Gas Law: PV = nRT (R= universal gas constant = 0.0821 L-atm/mol-K
= 62,400 mL-torr/mol-K)

The most useful of these is the Ideal Gas Law. Given three out of the four variables,
the last can be calculated. All the other laws can be derived from the Ideal Gas Law.

The purpose of this lab is two-fold: first, to recover the gas formed in a reaction,
measuring its properties to determine its amount, and second, to use stoichoimetry to
calculate the original amount of reactant. The reaction for this experiment is

Mg (s) + 2 HCl (aq)  H2 (g) + MgCl2 (aq)

PROCEDURE:
• Collect the following equipment: 1000 mL beaker, 50 mL buret, buret
clamp and ring stand, thermometer, 10 mL graduated cylinder.
• Select and unknown strip of Mg and record its letter.
• Close the valve on the buret and add water up to the 50.00 mL mark.
• Drain this into the graduated cylinder and record this volume.
• Add 8.0 mL of 6.0 M HCl to the buret (make sure to close valve).
• Continue filling the buret with distilled water all the way up to top.
• Bend your Mg strip into a “V” and wedge it into the top of the buret.
• Add more water if necessary to make the buret completely full.
• Fill the 1000 mL beaker with about 750 mL water.
• With a finger on the top of the buret, flip the buret over and submerge it
in the 1000 mL beaker.
• Make sure the buret is all the way on the bottom of the beaker and secure
in a clamp.
• After the reaction is complete, record the difference in water levels
between the buret and the beaker (in mm).
• Record the buret reading at the water level in the buret.
• Record the temperature of the water.
• Look up the vapor pressure of water at your temperature in the CRC
Handbook.
• Record the atmospheric pressure.

CALCULATIONS

• Subtract the buret reading from 50 mL and add “the volume below the
50 mL mark” to get the total volume of H2 collected.
• Express the pressure correction in mm Hg by dividing by the ratio of
water density to mercury density: 1.00 g/mL
13.6 g/mL
• Subtract the correction from the atmospheric pressure to get the
corrected “wet” H2 pressure (total pressure in the buret)
• Subtract the water vapor pressure to get the “dry” H2 pressure
(pressure of just H2 in buret).
• Calculate moles H2 formed using the Ideal Gas Law.
• Calculate moles Mg reacted (use stoichoimetry).
• Calculate mass Mg reacted (use molar mass).
GAS LAWS LAB Name_________________________
REPORT FORM:
Date_______________________
Show all calculations and units

data trial one trial two

Unknown ID _______________ _______________

Volume below 50 mL mark _______________ _______________

Difference in water levels _______________ _______________

Buret reading _______________ _______________

Temperature of water _______________ _______________

Vapor Pressure of Water at

Temperature from Handbook _______________ _______________

Atmospheric pressure _______________ _______________

calculations
Total volume of hydrogen collected _______________ ________________

Correction factor for pressure _______________ ________________

Corrected “wet” hydrogen pressure _______________ ________________

“Dry” hydrogen pressure _______________ ________________

Moles hydrogen formed _______________ ________________

Moles magnesium reacted _______________ ________________

Grams magnesium reacted _______________ ________________

Questions:

1. A sample of oxygen gas is produced in a reaction and collected under

water in a graduated cylinder. The temperature is 28.3 oC and the volume
of gas is 47.7 mL. During this experiment the atmospheric pressure is
0.98 atm. How many grams of oxygen were collected?

2. If 24.1 mL of N2 at 34.3 oC and 554 torr is allowed to expand to 89.6 mL

and 776 torr, what is the new temperature?

3. In our experiment, if you did not correct the atmospheric pressure for the
difference in water levels, how would that affect your calculated mass of
magnesium?

4. In our experiment, if you did not correct the pressure in the buret for
water vapor pressure, how would that affect your calculated mass of
magnesium?