University of Bahrain

College of Science
Department of Chemistry

DETERMINING THE MOLAR MASS OF A GAS

Name: Sayed Fadhel Abbas

➢ The purpose of this experiment is to determine the molar mass and

Introduction:

In the gas phase, all substances show similar physical behavior. Volumes of
different gases respond in almost exactly the same way to changes in amount, in
pressure or in temperature.
Gas Laws:
Boyle’s Law (1662) at a given temperature and number of moles, the pressure
and volume of a gas are inversely proportional in the form of an equation 1. Charles’s
Law (1787) at a given pressure and number of moles, the volume and temperature of
a gas are directly proportional in the form of an equation 2. Avogadro’s Hypothesis
at a given temperature and pressure, the volume and mass (number of moles, n) of a
gas are directly proportional in the form of an equation 3. Ideal Gas Law Combining
the relationships above yields the Ideal Gas Law from of an equation 4.

In this experiment, you will determine the molar mass and identity of an
unknown gas. To determine the molar mass of a gas by Ideal gas. The mas of gas is
first calculated using filed flasks with air, gas and water measured. And rewrite the
Ideal Gas Law by substituting for n. Recall that m represents the mas of gas in
grams, the V is the volume taken up by the gas in liters, T is the temperature of the
gas in units of kelvin, R is the gas constant equal 0.082 L.atm / K.mol, and P is the
pressure of the gas units of atmospheres.

𝑉 𝑉
1, 𝑃𝑉 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 2, = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 3, = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
𝑇 𝑛
𝑛𝑅𝑇 𝑚𝑅𝑇
𝑃𝑉 = ⇒ 𝑀𝑀 =
𝑃𝑉 𝑃𝑉
 Results and Calculations:
❖ Molar mass and Density of a Gas:

▪ Data of experiment:

Measure
Mass of flask filled with air 60.050 g
Mass of flask filled with gas 60.119 g
Mass of flask filled with water 167.217 g
Room temperature 21℃ + 273 = 294 K
Atmospheric pressure 760mmHg = 1atm
Density of air under
0.00122 g / mL
conditions of experiment
Density of water 1.0 g / cm3

▪ Calculations of experiment:

Calculations
Mass of water m3 – m1 = 167.217 𝑔 − 60.050 𝑔 = 107.167 𝑔
volume of water mwater / dwater =
107.167 𝑔
= 107.167𝑐𝑚3
1.0 𝑔/𝑐𝑚3
Volume Vwater = Vgas = Vair = 107.167 cm3
Mass of air dair * Vair = 0.00122 g/mL * 107.167 = 0.131g
Mass of empty flask m1 – mair = 60.050 g - 0.131 g = 59.919 g
Mass of gas m2 – mflask = 60.119 g - 59.919 g = 0.200 g
mgas * R * T / P * V
Molar mass of a gas (0.200𝑔) ∗ (0.0821 𝐿. 𝑎𝑡𝑚/𝐾. 𝑚𝑜𝑙 ) ∗ (294 𝐾)
= 45.05 𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
(1𝑎𝑡𝑚 ∗ 107.167 × 10−3 𝐿)
Exp. MM of the gas 45.05 𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
So, the gas is CO2 (carbon dioxide)
The theoretical Molar
(12.01+ 2 * 16) = 44.01 g/mol
Mass from periodic table
% Error (𝐸𝑥𝑝. 𝑀𝑀 − 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑀)
=| | × 100
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑀
(45.05 𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙 − 44.01𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙)
= | | × 100 = 2.36%
44.01 𝑔/𝑚𝑜𝑙
Discussion:

In the experiment, first weighted flask filled with air, water and gas. When filled
flask with gas remove the delivery tube slowly cause the gas inside the flask expand
creating a region of high pressure and prevent the gas escaping from the flask. Then,
just calculated the mass of water, and find volume of water by mass of water dividing
density of water. And that the volume of water is equal to volume of air, volume of flask
and volume of gas as volume is constant cause only one flask used for measured.
Next, calculated the mass of air by the equation (density of air x volume of air) and
therefore, mass of empty flask equal mass of flask filled with air subtracting mass of air.
Thus, calculated the mass of gas by subtracting the weight of the flask from the
weighted of the flask filled with gas. So, the molar mass of gas calculated by ideal gas
law, and it is equal 45.05 g / mol. So, the gas is carbon dioxide (CO2) and compared
with molar mass from periodic table, and percentage of errors are 2.36%. There is error
the molar mass of carbon dioxide is known to be approximately 44.01 g /mol at variance
our value, there are many reasons for this error, one of them some of the carbon
dioxide would escape before the stopper has sealed the flask. Noted, when filed flask
full of water, it was a less accurate balance because it was more adequate because the
mass of water is much larger than both CO2 and air, increasing the uncertainty and
removing the need for a large number of decimal places.

Conclusion:

From this experiment, the molar mass and identity of a gas was determined by
ideal gas law, and it was 45.05 g/mole. So, the gas was carbon dioxide (CO2). Also,
the percentage errors are 2.36%.

References:
▪ Almutawah, A. (2017) CHEM 101 General Chemistry I Practical Manual
Bahrain, Sakhir: University of Bahrain.

▪ Chang, R. & Overby, J. (2019) CHEMISTRY. 13th edition. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.