Vapor Pressure and

Enthalpy of Vaporization
CHEM 343L Lab Report
Experiment #1

By: Breyonna Morgan

Partners:
Alexa Robinson
Date Performed:
9/30/15
Date Due:
10/29/15
Date submitted:
10/29/15

Instructor: Dr. Ohene

Abstract
In this experiment, the purpose was to investigate the relationship between the vapor
pressure of a liquid and its temperature. The purpose of the extension was to prove this
relationship using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, including data found during the main
experiment procedure(s). Isoteniscope Method was used, via computer generated simulation, to
determine the heat of vaporization of ethanol by measuring the vapor pressure of the sample as a
function of temperature.
The experimental results obtained supported our hypothesis in this procedure the
relationship of vapor pressure to temperature was found. The hypothesis was that the two bore a
direct relationship to each other, which means one increasing as the other increases. The data
collected supports the original hypothesis. As vapor pressure went up, so did the temperature.
One can also infer that increasing the temperature and thus, kinetic energy, increases the vapor
pressure and the rate at which random interactions occur. Using this information, one would
predict that raising the temperature in a bottle of soda causes the vapor pressure to increase and
more molecules to escape faster, leading the soda to go flat at a much faster rate. Based on the
results, ethanol exhibits different kinds of intermolecular forces and different vapor pressures.
The data was analyzed by plotting the data as 1/T vs. lnP and establishing the equation of the
line. From the equation given, Hvap and Tbp was determined by simple calculations. The normal
boiling point (Tbp) was found to be 78.34C, which based off of the established value of 78.37C,
constituted a .04% error. The heat of vaporization (Hvap) was found to be 42.13, which based off
of the established value of 42.32, constituted a 0.45

Purpose:

error.

Use Daltons Law of Partial Pressure to extract the vapor pressure from the observed pressure.
Calculate the relationship between Pvap and T and calculate the Hvap of the liquid.
Introduction:
When a liquid is placed in a container, and the container is sealed tightly, a portion of the liquid
will evaporate. The newly formed gas molecules exert pressure in the container, while some of
the gas condenses back into the liquid state. If the temperature inside the container is held
constant, then at some point equilibrium will be reached. At equilibrium, the rate of condensation
is equal to the rate of evaporation. The pressure at equilibrium is called vapor pressure, and will
remain constant as long as the temperature in the container does not change.
This equilibrium relationship between vapor and liquid can be derived from the thermodynamic
master equation.
dG=VdPSdT

(0)

If the liquid and vapor phases are at equilibrium with one another, then G = 0. Rearranging the
master equation and substituting in the equation for the change of entropy for vaporization gives
a general equation for phase transitions:

S=

H vap
T

(0)

dT
dP= T m,Trans
V
m

(0)

Equation (3) can be solved by making the assumption that the enthalpy of transition is
independent of T & P, and that the change in volume can be attributed solely to the ideal gas
volume. With these assumptions in place, the Clausius-Clapeyron equation describes how vapor
pressure changes with changes in temperature, as well as describes how the enthalpy of
vaporization affects those changes.

ln

P2 H vap 1
1
=
[

]
P1
R
T2
T1

( )

( )( )

(0)

P = vapor pressure, T is Kelvin temperature, Hvap is the molar enthalpy of vaporization, and R is
the universal gas constant (in units of J/K*mol). If we let P1 and T1 be fixed and equal to the
values for standard conditions (Po = 1 bar, Tovap = standard boiling point), then equation (4)
can be re-written for other T & P conditions as

lnP=

H vap 1
+constant
R
T

()

(0)

In the above equation, lnP is the natural logarithm of the vapor pressure (in kPa), Hvap is the
heat of vaporization (in kJ/mol), R is the universal gas constant (8.31 J/molK), T is the absolute,
or Kelvin, temperature. Thus, the Clausius-Clapeyron equation not only describes how vapor
pressure is affected by temperature, but it relates these factors to the heat of vaporization of a
liquid. Hvap is the amount of energy required to evaporate of one mole of liquid at constant
pressure.
Materials Required:

Computer

Procedure:
The website http://web.mst.edu/~gbert/pvap/APvap.html was visited on a computer using
Google Chrome. Ethanol was selected under the Liquids tab in the drop down menu. Once
the animation was complete heater on/off was clicked on the left of the screen. The Enter
button on the keyboard was clicked after the dialogue box pops up. An excel document was
opened and Alt+Tab was clicked to return to the online animation. The mouse was used to
click record, and the stopcock on the animation was opened by clicking on the valve above the
record button. The data recorded on the screen showed Temperature (C) in the x-column and
pressure (torr) in the y-column. The data was repeatedly recorded until after 40 torr was reached
in the pressure part of the online table. The data was then pasted into a Microsoft excel sheet.

Data and Calculations:

The data obtained by measuring the vapor pressure of ethanol as a function of temperature can be
found in Table 1. The data was further manipulated in order to fit (Eq. 5). In order to accomplish
that feat, the data was expressed as 1/T (K) and lnP (torr). The data obtained after making those
corrections can be found in Table 2. A graph of the linear relationship between the vapor pressure
of ethanol as a function of temperature can be found in Figure 1 using the data taken from Table
1. The x-axis shows the temperature (K) and the y-axis shows the pressure (torr.) The data was
then graphed in Figure 2, using the information from Table 2, showing 1/T vs. lnP in order to
determine equation of the line. The equation of the line was then used to determine the enthalpy
of vaporization.

Table 1: Vapor pressure of Ethanol Measurements

Temp (K)

P (torr)

350.2
349.4
348.7
348
347.3
346.5
345.7
344.9
344.1
343.2
342.3
341.4
340.5
339.5
338.5
337.5
336.4
335.2
334
332.8
331.4
330
328.6
327
325.3
323.5
321.5
319.4
317
314.4
311.5
308
303.9
298.8
291.9

724
700
680
660
640
620
600
580
560
540
520
500
480
460
440
420
400
380
360
340
320
300
280
260
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40

Table 2: Modified Vapor pressure of Ethanol Measurements 1/T and lnP

Temperature (K)
1/T
0.002856
0.002862
0.002868
0.002874
0.002879
0.002886
0.002893
0.002899
0.002906
0.002914
0.002921
0.002929
0.002937
0.002946
0.002954
0.002963
0.002973
0.002983
0.002994
0.003005
0.003018
0.00303
0.003043
0.003058
0.003074
0.003091
0.00311
0.003131
0.003155
0.003181
0.00321
0.003247
0.003291
0.003347
0.003426

Figure 1: Temperature vs. Pressure

Pressure (torr)
lnP
6.584791
6.55108
6.522093
6.49224
6.461468
6.429719
6.39693
6.363028
6.327937
6.291569
6.253829
6.214608
6.173786
6.131226
6.086775
6.040255
5.991465
5.940171
5.886104
5.828946
5.768321
5.703782
5.63479
5.560682
5.480639
5.393628
5.298317
5.192957
5.075174
4.941642
4.787492
4.60517
4.382027
4.094345
3.688879

Temperature VS Pressure
800
f(x) = 0 exp( 0.05 x )
R = 1

700
600
500

Pressure (torr)

400
300
200
100
0
280

290

300

310

320

Temperature (K)

Figure 2: 1/T vs. lnP

330

340

350

360

1/T VS ln(P)
7
f(x) = - 5066.85x + 21.05
R = 1

6
5
4

lnP (torr)

3
2
1
0

1/T (K)

Where Hvap is the enthalpy of vaporization, R is the universal gas constant (8.314 J*mol-1*k-1), T
is the Kelvin temperature, and C is a constant based on the liquid. Equation (5) is an equation in
the straight line form:
y=mx +b

(0)

The slope of this plot is equal to:

m=

H vap
=slope
R

(0)

Using this relationship the value of the enthalpy of vaporization can be determined.
Y =ln P vap

(0)

( T1 )=K

x=

(0)

B=intercept =C=Constant

(0)

(5066.9 )(8.314 ) = H vap

(0)

H vap =42.13 kJ / mol

(0)

%Error=

T bp=

42.3242.13
100 =0.45
42.32

(0)

m
5066.9
5066.9
=
=
=351.3390568 K 273=78.3390568 =T bp
Bln ( 760 ) 21.055ln ( 760 ) 14.42168157
(0)

%Error=

78.3778.34
100 =0.0394834758
78.37

(0)

Conclusion:
The experimental results obtained supported our hypothesis in this procedure the relationship of
vapor pressure to temperature was found. The hypothesis was that the two bore a direct
relationship to each other, which means one increasing as the other increases. The data collected
supports the original hypothesis. As vapor pressure went up, so did the temperature. One can

also infer that increasing the temperature and thus, kinetic energy, increases the vapor pressure
and the rate at which random interactions occur. Using this information, one would predict that
raising the temperature in a bottle of soda causes the vapor pressure to increase and more
molecules to escape faster, leading the soda to go flat at a much faster rate. Based on the
results, ethanol exhibits different kinds of intermolecular forces and different vapor pressures.
The data was analyzed by plotting the data as 1/T vs. lnP and establishing the equation of the
line. From the equation given, Hvap and Tbp was determined by simple calculations. The normal
boiling point (Tbp) was found to be 78.34C, which based off of the established value of 78.37C,
constituted a .04% error. The heat of vaporization (Hvap) was found to be 42.13, which based off
of the established value of 42.32, constituted a 0.45

error.