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Ideal Gas equation question

In an experiment to find the relative molecular mass of an organic compound Q, 0.20g of liquid Q was injected into a gas syringe to form 85.0cm^3 of gaseous Q. The gas syringe was encased in a syringe oven at a temperature of 450K. The pressure was measured as 1.01kPa
Gas constant, = 8.31J K^-1mol^-1

Calculate relative molecular mass of Q

My working out
pv=nrt
n=pv/rt
I converted everything
P = 1010Pa
V= 0.000085m3
n=
R-8.31J K^1mol^1
T=450k

1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29

n= mass/molar mass
molar mass= mass/moles
0.20/2.29 = 0.08

Just want to check if it's right not sure...
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 1
Original post by NKISS
In an experiment to find the relative molecular mass of an organic compound Q, 0.20g of liquid Q was injected into a gas syringe to form 85.0cm^3 of gaseous Q. The gas syringe was encased in a syringe oven at a temperature of 450K. The pressure was measured as 1.01kPa
Gas constant, = 8.31J K^-1mol^-1

Calculate relative molecular mass of Q

My working out
pv=nrt
n=pv/rt
I converted everything
P = 1010Pa
V= 0.00085m3
n=
R-8.31J K^1mol^1
T=450k

1010x0.000085 / 8.315x450 = 2.29

n= mass/molar mass
molar mass= mass/moles
0.20/2/29 = 0.08

Just want to check if it's right not sure...


1.01 kPa is VERY low, was it not 101 kPa i.e. 1 atm?

85.0 cm3 = 85.0 x 10^-6 m3 i.e. 0.000085 m3, you missed a zero the first time you wrote it, but fixed it in the equation.

You initially showed R as 8.31, but then wrote 8.315, but it is 8.314.

You should have noticed that you answer cannot be correct since you've ended up with an Mr of <1.
Reply 2
Original post by Pigster
1.01 kPa is VERY low, was it not 101 kPa i.e. 1 atm?

85.0 cm3 = 85.0 x 10^-6 m3 i.e. 0.000085 m3, you missed a zero the first time you wrote it, but fixed it in the equation.

You initially showed R as 8.31, but then wrote 8.315, but it is 8.314.

You should have noticed that you answer cannot be correct since you've ended up with an Mr of <1.

In the question, It's written as 1.01kPa. I'm not sure why if it is too low.
I think I accidently missed a zero so I'm going to fix that so others don't get confused.
The gas constant in the question I've got is 8.31. But I think I've wrote it wrong. I fix these errors but I'm not sure what else to do if my Mr is 0.08. Thank you for helping.
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by NKISS
In the question, It's written as 1.01kPa. I'm not sure why if it is too low.
I think I accidently missed a zero so I'm going to fix that so others don't get confused.
The gas constant in the question I've got is 8.31. But I think I've wrote it wrong. I fix these errors but I'm not sure what else to do if my Mr is 0.08. Thank you for helping.

You've written it: "1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29"

But it doesn't. 1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29 x 10^-5. Which leads to Mr = 8711

BUT, I am right! P = 101kPa not 1.01kPa. This leads to Mr = 87, which is something like pentanamine.

Why do I say I am right? Who the hell would set up an experiment to heat an organic liquid to find its Mr, but do it at 0.01 atm of pressure?
Reply 4
Original post by Pigster
You've written it: "1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29"

But it doesn't. 1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29 x 10^-5. Which leads to Mr = 8711

BUT, I am right! P = 101kPa not 1.01kPa. This leads to Mr = 87, which is something like pentanamine.

Why do I say I am right? Who the hell would set up an experiment to heat an organic liquid to find its Mr, but do it at 0.01 atm of pressure?

I think you're right :wink: I'm not too sure why the question in my homework says that because when you do the working out it's clearly wrong. I'm pretty sure at this point the Mr is 87 because the question after says that the actual relative molecular mass was found to be 88 from its molecular ion peak on its mass spectrum.
Reply 5
Original post by Pigster
You've written it: "1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29"

But it doesn't. 1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29 x 10^-5. Which leads to Mr = 8711

BUT, I am right! P = 101kPa not 1.01kPa. This leads to Mr = 87, which is something like pentanamine.

Why do I say I am right? Who the hell would set up an experiment to heat an organic liquid to find its Mr, but do it at 0.01 atm of pressure?

Could you show me how you worked it out to get 87? Thanks.
Reply 6
Original post by NKISS
Could you show me how you worked it out to get 87? Thanks.

Just take your workflow in your initial post:

"1010x0.000085 / 8.31x450 = 2.29

n= mass/molar mass
molar mass= mass/moles
0.20/2/29 = 0.08"


Put in the proper numbers and tidy up the final equation to replace the second / with a decimal point (not that you'll get 2.29 when you do it correctly).

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