Verification of Charles' law for an ideal gas

AIM

The aim of this experiment shows how a gas behaves when it is heated at constant pressure. The law it obeys is called CHARLES’ LAW.

YOU WILL NEED

a 0 - 100^oC thermometer
a tall 1 litre beaker
a glass capillary tube containing air sealed in with an oil and sulphuric acid plug and closed at one end
2 rubber bands
a bunsen
tripod
gauze and mat

WHAT TO DO

Fill your beaker with cold water.
Fix the glass capillary tube to the thermometer with the rubber bands with the open end at the top. The bottom of the tube should be level with the -10 ^oC mark on the thermometer.

Put the thermometer and tube in the water, the open end of the tube should be just above water level. Record the water temperature.

Record the volume of the trapped air in the tube, you should record this as a number of thermometer divisions. (Remember it starts at -10^o).

Light the bunsen and heat the water to boiling slowly. Take readings of the volume of the air every 10 ^oC and record them. When the water boils turn off the bunsen.

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS

You should record a table as set out below:

(In the example shown the volume is about 24 units and the temperature 22^oC.)

Plot a graph of volume against temperature starting at 0^oC. (A)
Plot a further graph showing -350 ^oC to +100 ^oC. (B)

Find where your line cuts the temperature axis - this is ABSOLUTE ZERO.

Find out the increase in volume for a 10 ^oC rise in temperature from your graph and hence calculate the increase in volume per degree centigrade ?

Write up the experiment.

Record any sources of error which you consider will affect your result and suggest how they might be reduced.

Note: Your teacher may wish to give you additional instructions before you carry out the experiment.