Lab #9

Vapor Pressure/Enthalpy of Vaporization of H2O

01.12.2009

Madison Kommor and Ayana Lowry

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to find the vapor pressure of water at
temperatures between 50 C and 80 C and calculate the enthalpy of vaporization by
graphing the logarithm of vapor pressure against the reciprocal of the absolute
temperature.
Theory: A sample of air is trapped in an inverted 10-mL graduated cylinder, which is
immersed in a tall beaker of water. As the water in the beaker is heated, the air in the
graduated cylinder expands and becomes saturated with water vapor. When the volume of
the air contracts after being cooled, there is less water vapor at the lower temperature.
When it is cooled to 0 C, the vapor pressure of water is so low that it can be assumed
that all of the gas in the graduated cylinder is air. Next, you can calculate the moles of air
in the cylinder by using the volume of dry air present at the temperature near 0 C and the
ideal gas equation. Knowing the moles of air, we can calculate the partial pressure at each
temperature and the vapor pressure can be calculated by subtracting the pressure of air
from the total pressure in the cylinder.
Procedure: We followed the procedure indicated in the lab except we used a graduated
cylinder full instead of 2/3 full.
Data:
Temperature (C)
80 C
75 C
70 C
65 C
60 C
55 C
50 C
0 C

Volume (mL)
10mL
9.2mL
8.6mL
7.5mL
7mL
6.5mL
6mL
4.4mL

Calculations:
1.

10 0.2 = 9.8mL6.5 0.2 = 6.3mL

9.2 0.2 = 9mL6 0.2 = 5.6mL
8.6 0.2 = 8.4 mL4.3 0.2 = 4.1mL
7.5 0.2 = 7.3mL
7 0.2 = 6.8mL

2.

Pcylinder = Patmosphere + h(mmH 2O)

1.00mmHg
13.6mmH 2O

20 759.221mmHg
Pcylinder = 757.74 +
= .999atm
=
13.5

760mmHg

3.
4.

n air =
Pair =
Pair =
Pair =
Pair =
Pair =

5.

6.

PV
(.998)(.0043)
n air =
= 1.901 10 4 mol
RT
(.0821)(274.9)
n air RT
V
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(353)
.0098
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(348)
.009
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(343)
.0084
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(338)
.0073

(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(333)
= .766
.0068
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(328)
= .604Pair =
= .814
.0063
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(323)
= .639Pair =
= .902
.0056
(1.905 10 4 )(.0821)(274.9)
= .724Pair =
= .935
.0046
= .563Pair =

Pwater = Pcylinder Pair

.999 .563
.999 .604
.999 .639
.999 .724

= .436.999 .766 = .233

= .395.999 .814 = .185
= .360.999 .902 = .097
= .275.999 .935 = .064

(without zero value):

(with zero value)

H vap = m(R)

H vap = m(R)
44047.155J
5300.5(8.31) =
= 44.047
20209.92J
1000J
2432.4(8.31) =
= 20.20992
1000J
H vap = 44.047
H vap = 20.21

Questions:

1. What is vapor pressure and why does it change with temperature?

It is the pressure of the vapor present at equilibrium. It changes with
temperature because in order to overcome intermolecular forces, molecules
must have significant kinetic energies. As a liquid is heated, more molecules
have this minimal kinetic energy needed to overcome the intermolecular
forces.
2. What is enthalpy of vaporization?
The energy required to vaporize one mole a liquid at one atm of pressure.
3. Find the actual vapor pressure of water at your low temperature and
comment on the validity of the assumption that it is negligent at low
temperatures.
5.2572 mmHg at 1.9C
This assumption could be accurate but it may throw off your calculations
slightly because the vapor pressure of water at 0C is 4.58mmHg. There is a .
677 difference in pressure, which may not be too significant but it depends on
how precise you would like to be. For our purposes, our assumption is correct
and it should not affect our calculations greatly.
4. Comment on the validity of the assumption that tiny changes in h are
insignificant when it comes to the total pressure.
In the beginning of the experiment we assumed that the h value remained
constant although the pressure varied. However, gas pressure changes a lot
with depth, and pressure can change by moving the cylinder up or a down
small incremaments. Although we probably should have recorded this value for
each temperature, it would not have thrown off the values much at all.
5. Were your data values close to a straight line graph?
Yes, the values shown by the graphs above indicate a linear regression.

6. Write out the long two point form of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation.
Why does the graphical method five a better value for the enthalpy or
vaporization?
P T H

1
1
ln vap 1 = vap
2 T1
P
vapT2 R T
The graphical method is more accurate because it takes into account more

than just two points, unlike the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. With more than
two points taken into account, the measurements will be much more accurate
and can appeal to a much broader set of data.
Possible Sources of Error:
Incorrect measurements
Too much/Too Little Water in the Graduated Cylinder
Our lowest temperature was not 0C
Incorrect Calculations
Neglecting the vapor pressure of Water
Not enough stirring during the procedure to distribute the temperature evenly
Percent Error:
Accepted Value: 41 KJ
44.047 41
100% = 7.431%error
41

20.21 41
100% = 50.707%error
41