Density of Carbon Dioxide Lab
Methods:
Determining the density of carbon dioxide entailed calculating the mass and volume of a given amount of carbon dioxide. This amount was concealed in a balloon and was obtained through mixing water and Effervescent tablets which reacted and released carbon dioxide into the balloon. A balloon was placed at the end of rubber tubing (after all gas was removed from it) which was attached to a corked flask holding 1 Effervescent tablet. (See Figure 1). Water was then added to the flask and the top sealed, causing the carbon dioxide to travel through the rubber tubing and into the balloon. The balloon was then tied off to ensure no gas would escape.
To find the mass of the carbon dioxide inside the balloon, it was first weighed without carbon dioxide, using an electronic scale. The balloon was then filled with carbon dioxide (using the method above) and weighed again. The original mass of the balloon was then subtracted from the mass of the balloon filled with carbon dioxide to find the mass of only the carbon dioxide inside the balloon.
Calculating the volume of the carbon dioxide inside of the balloon, the water displacement method was used. A 200 mL beaker was filled with 100mLs water, and the balloon emptied of all gas and placed inside the water completely submerged. The amount the water level rose showed the volume in mLs the balloon consisted of. Then, the balloon was filled with carbon dioxide(using the method above), and the beaker filled again to 100 mL. The full balloon was then placed inside the beaker completely submerged in the water. (See figure 2). The amount of mLs the water level rose from when the balloon was added to the water, was found, then subtracted from the original amount of water in the beaker. The volume of the empty balloon was then subtracted from this number, to find the volume of the carbon dioxide gas inside the balloon in mL's.
After all measurements were found, the equation; "Mass/Volume=Density" was used to find the density of the carbon dioxide inside the balloon. The mass found for the carbon dioxide was divided by the Volume found for the carbon dioxide, which gave the density of carbon dioxide in grams/millileter. This Process was then repeated to ensure results were legit, and to find an average for the density of carbon dioxide.
Results:
To test for the density of carbon dioxide, methods were used to calculate both the mass and the volume of an amount of carbon dioxide. The equation, Mass/Volume=Density was used to determine the density of the carbon dioxide being tested. The methods section above shows the process by which this number was found in g/mL. The mass of the carbon dioxide during trial 1 was found to be 0.146 grams. The Volume of the carbon dioxide concealed in the balloon was 96.5mL. These numbers were input into the equation for density, (0.146g/96.5mL) and the calculation equaled a density of 0.0015g/mL.
This method then underwent another trial to exact measurements, and to find an average for the density of carbon dioxide. The mass, during trial 2 was found to be 0.146g (the same mass as trial 1), and the volume was found to be 114.4mL for trial 2. These new numbers were then put into the equation for density (0.146g/114.4mL) and equaled 0.0012g/mL. The two numbers were then averaged and the density of carbon dioxide was found to equal 0.00135g/mL. The average of these two densities were found through adding the two numbers, then dividing them by two.
The average density number found during this lab was near the accepted density of carbon dioxide found by scientists, known to be 0.00197g/mL. The percent error was calculated using the equation (shown in figure 3) and was calculated to be 22.8% error. This may be due to imprecise measurement of the volume of the carbon dioxide. A 200mL beaker was used which does not have an exacting measurement system, therefore the exact volume of the balloon had to be estimated and the number found was close as possible to the exact volume. Also, the fact that the balloon was being pushed down into the water using another small beaker, it may have been touching the water, increasing the volume of the water and resulting in inexact measurement. There were no safety issues associated with this experiement, however safety goggles were used to protect the eyes and areas were kept clean to avoid imprecision during testing. The average density calculated during this lab was 0.00135g/mL; 0.00062g/mL less than the accepted density found for carbon dioxide gas.
Determining the density of carbon dioxide entailed calculating the mass and volume of a given amount of carbon dioxide. This amount was concealed in a balloon and was obtained through mixing water and Effervescent tablets which reacted and released carbon dioxide into the balloon. A balloon was placed at the end of rubber tubing (after all gas was removed from it) which was attached to a corked flask holding 1 Effervescent tablet. (See Figure 1). Water was then added to the flask and the top sealed, causing the carbon dioxide to travel through the rubber tubing and into the balloon. The balloon was then tied off to ensure no gas would escape.
To find the mass of the carbon dioxide inside the balloon, it was first weighed without carbon dioxide, using an electronic scale. The balloon was then filled with carbon dioxide (using the method above) and weighed again. The original mass of the balloon was then subtracted from the mass of the balloon filled with carbon dioxide to find the mass of only the carbon dioxide inside the balloon.
Calculating the volume of the carbon dioxide inside of the balloon, the water displacement method was used. A 200 mL beaker was filled with 100mLs water, and the balloon emptied of all gas and placed inside the water completely submerged. The amount the water level rose showed the volume in mLs the balloon consisted of. Then, the balloon was filled with carbon dioxide(using the method above), and the beaker filled again to 100 mL. The full balloon was then placed inside the beaker completely submerged in the water. (See figure 2). The amount of mLs the water level rose from when the balloon was added to the water, was found, then subtracted from the original amount of water in the beaker. The volume of the empty balloon was then subtracted from this number, to find the volume of the carbon dioxide gas inside the balloon in mL's.
After all measurements were found, the equation; "Mass/Volume=Density" was used to find the density of the carbon dioxide inside the balloon. The mass found for the carbon dioxide was divided by the Volume found for the carbon dioxide, which gave the density of carbon dioxide in grams/millileter. This Process was then repeated to ensure results were legit, and to find an average for the density of carbon dioxide.
Results:
To test for the density of carbon dioxide, methods were used to calculate both the mass and the volume of an amount of carbon dioxide. The equation, Mass/Volume=Density was used to determine the density of the carbon dioxide being tested. The methods section above shows the process by which this number was found in g/mL. The mass of the carbon dioxide during trial 1 was found to be 0.146 grams. The Volume of the carbon dioxide concealed in the balloon was 96.5mL. These numbers were input into the equation for density, (0.146g/96.5mL) and the calculation equaled a density of 0.0015g/mL.
This method then underwent another trial to exact measurements, and to find an average for the density of carbon dioxide. The mass, during trial 2 was found to be 0.146g (the same mass as trial 1), and the volume was found to be 114.4mL for trial 2. These new numbers were then put into the equation for density (0.146g/114.4mL) and equaled 0.0012g/mL. The two numbers were then averaged and the density of carbon dioxide was found to equal 0.00135g/mL. The average of these two densities were found through adding the two numbers, then dividing them by two.
The average density number found during this lab was near the accepted density of carbon dioxide found by scientists, known to be 0.00197g/mL. The percent error was calculated using the equation (shown in figure 3) and was calculated to be 22.8% error. This may be due to imprecise measurement of the volume of the carbon dioxide. A 200mL beaker was used which does not have an exacting measurement system, therefore the exact volume of the balloon had to be estimated and the number found was close as possible to the exact volume. Also, the fact that the balloon was being pushed down into the water using another small beaker, it may have been touching the water, increasing the volume of the water and resulting in inexact measurement. There were no safety issues associated with this experiement, however safety goggles were used to protect the eyes and areas were kept clean to avoid imprecision during testing. The average density calculated during this lab was 0.00135g/mL; 0.00062g/mL less than the accepted density found for carbon dioxide gas.