Density Determination by Pycnometer

An Experimental Report Presented to the

Faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering

School of Engineering and Architecture

Saint Louis University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

By:

Dulce, Nill Patrick U.

Jardenico, Jhovane Chris B.

Aquino, Kizy V.

De Vera, Rogelyn May O.

Gaspar, Heather Ellaine S.

August 2015

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The group acknowledges the help of their instructor, Engr. Katelyn Gabon, for helping

them during the experiment, and also to Engineer Francis Pascua for preparing the things that the

group needed to make the experiment successful. And most of all, to the Almighty God who

gave them strength, knowledge, and wisdom to perform the said experiment.

The Researchers

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE I
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS Iii
ABSTRACT Iv
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1
Chapter 2: DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 3
Chapter 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION X
Chapter 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION X
REFERENCES X
APPENDICES X

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 ABSTRACT

The density of a liquid has never been easy to determine because its mass cannot readily

be measured. Through experimentation, methods have been developed and one of the most

accurate methods developed was the pycnometer method. The mass of two samples of liquid,

chloroform and methanol, was determined by the use of a pycnometer. The density of the two

samples is computed from the known density of the reference liquid (which is water). Three

trials have been made. The averages of the values computed are 1.4720 g/cm 3 and 0.7912 g/cm3,

for chloroform and for methanol, respectively. The theoretical value for chloroform is 1.49 g/cm3

and 1.791 for methanol. Since the gap between the theoretical and experimental values of the

two samples is small, it is safe to say that the pycnometer method is really accurate.

Keywords: density, pycnometer, chloroform, methanol

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 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Solid, liquid and gas substances differ from each other because they do not have the same

physical and chemical properties. These properties define what a substance is. One of the most

common properties of a substance is its density. Density, ρ, is a physical property which is

defined as the ratio of the mass and volume of the substance.

M ( Mass)
ρ=
V (Volume)

(1.1)

Density depends on the temperature and pressure (for gases) of a substance. For liquid

substances, density changes more rapidly with temperature because it has smaller intermolecular

forces.

Density plays a significant role in the determination of the relationship between chemical

and thermal composition of a substance, and mechanical treatment of a material. In medicine, it

is used as a screening tool in medical diagnosis. For example, if the density of urine differs from

the normal values; there is a problem with the kidneys secreting substances that should not be

lost from the body. Thus, it is important to determine the densities of different materials.

The density of a substance can easily be determined experimentally by measuring its

mass and its volume and getting their quotient following equation (1.1). The problem lies on the

determination of the densities of liquid and gas substances because these substances do not have

definite shape and their atoms are more spaced compared to solids. That is why measuring their

mass directly is not possible.

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 One of the most accurate methods used in determining the density of a liquid is the use of

a pycnometer. A pycnometer is a vessel that has a known volume having a stopper or neck. The

neck is short and ends with a very small hole, 0.01 mm in diameter.

Figure 1. A Pycnometer

The empty pycnometer is first weighed; then it is filled with the liquid sample and

weighed again. The difference of the two measured values is the mass of the liquid. The density

of the liquid can now be calculated by multiplying the mass of the liquid to the density of water;

and the product is divided to the mass of the water.

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the density of a liquid using the

pycnometer method.

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 Chapter 2

DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

The procedure was modified as follows; the pycnometer was washed with acid wash

(hydrochloric acid) then was rinsed by distilled water and was dried using a hair dryer. After

which, the empty pycnometer was weighed, then the pycnometer was filled with distilled water

and the temperature was measured using the thermometer and it was covered with its stopper and

its sides was dried using a dry cloth then it was weighed again in the analytical balance. After

the total mass of the pycnometer with water was determined, the mass of the water was

computed using this equation

mtotal = mpycnometer + mwater (1)

Where mtotal is the mass of pynometer with water, mpyc was the mass of empty pycnometer

and mwater mass of water.

And for the volume of water, this equation was used

mwater

V= -------- (2)

ρwater

where ρwater at 27°C was 0.99623 g/cm3 .

After computing the mass and volume of water the researchers proceeded to the next

procedure where the pycnometer was washed again with HCl then rinsed with distilled water and

was dried using the hair dryer. The empty pycnometer was weighed in the analytical balance,

after weighing it the pycnometer was now filled with chloroform and was covered with its

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stopper and its sides was dried using a dry cloth then it was weighed again in the analytical

balance. After getting the total mass of pycnometer with chloroform, the density of chloroform

was calculated using this equation

mchloroform

ρchloroform = (ρwater) ---------------- (3)

mwater

where mchloroform was the mass of chloroform measured and ρ chloro was the density of chloroform to

be computed

And for methanol, the pycnometer was empty washed again with HCl then rinsed with

distilled water and was dried using the hair dryer. The empty pycnometer was weighed in the

analytical balance, after weighing it the pycnometer was now filled with methanol and was

covered with its stopper and its sides was dried using a dry cloth then it was weighed again in the

analytical balance. After getting the total mass of pycnometer with methanol, the density of

methanol was calculated using this equation

mmethanol

ρmethanol = ρwater ------------- (4)

mwater

where mmethanol was the mass of methanol measured and ρ met was the density of methanol to be

computed.

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 After accomplishing and calculating all the required, the apparatus used was washed,

dried and kept, and the data sheet and computation sheet was submitted to the instructor.

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 Chapter 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 3.1
TRIAL 1 2 3
Reference Liquid:
Water
Weight of empty
35. 8573 35.8572 35.8577
pycnometer
Weight of
pycnometer with 59.4747 59.5100 59.5278
water
Weight of water 23.6173 23.6528 23.6701
Temperature of
300.15 300.15 300.15
water (K)
Density of water
0.99623 0.99623 0.99623
(g/cm3)
Volume of water 23.70677 23.74231 23.75697
Choloroform
Weight of empty
35.8564 35.8560 35.8561
pycnometer
Weight of
pycnometer with 70.8184 70.8026 70.8993
chloroform
Weight of
34.9620 34.9466 35.0429
chloroform
Density of
1.4748 1.4664 1.4749
chloroform
Methanol
Weight of empty
35.8552 35.8558 35.8558
pycnometer
Weight of
pycnometer with 54.6090 54.6517 54.6460
methanol
Weight of methanol 18.7538 18.7959 18.7906
Density of methanol 0.7911 0.7917 0.7907

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 The density of water obtained from all three trials are of the same value as the

temperature never varied. Therefore, the differences in the volume of the water in each trial are

due to the differences in its weight. From the data above, it can be inferred that the mass of the

water is directly proportional to its volume. Accuracy in determining the weight and temperature

of the water is vital as the accuracy of the succeeding data are dependent on it.

In determining the density of the chloroform, the mass and density of the water was used.

In general, the obtained values of the density are lower that the known density of chloroform

which is 1.49 g/mL.

The same procedure was used in determining the density of the methanol. Methanol’s

known density is 0.79 g/mL. In general, the obtained values of the density are accurate.

The differences of the obtained values and known value of density for each substance

can be attributed to the precision and accuracy in measuring its weight.

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 Chapter 4

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The experimenters conclude that a pycnometer is an effective instrument in determining

the precise density of a certain liquid. A reference liquid such as water should be use to identify

the density of the other reagents, chloroform and methanol. The theoretical density of the

distilled water, at 27˚C, is 0.99623 g/cm 3; this is needed to calculate its volume. Using ratio and

proportion, the density of chloroform and methanol can be computed.

The theoretical density of chloroform is 1.49 g/cm 3 and the experimenters got 1.4720

g/cm3, by averaging the results in three trials. The percentage error is 1.2081% which means that

the experimental value is still accepted. On the other hand, the experimental value of the density

of methanol is 0.7912 g/cm3 while its theoretical value is 0.791 g/cm 3. The percentage error is

0.0523%. The experimental densities were determined using a pycnometer.

The discrepancy between the value of the theoretical and experimental density of

chloroform and of methanol is due to some errors done by the experimenters. Some of the errors

are inaccuracy in measuring, not following the procedures properly.

The experimenters recommend that further experiments should be done. Proper handling

of apparatus should be monitor and maintain, accurate reading of the measurements to come up

with a more precise results.

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 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

List and Uses of Apparatus

1. Pycnometer – A pycnometer is a standard vessel often provided with a thermometer for

measuring and comparing the densities of liquids and solids.

2. Thermometer – A thermometer is an instrument used for measuring temperature.

3. Pipette – A pipette is a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube

into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by

closing the upper end.

APPENDIX B

Definition of Terms

1. Pycnometer – A pycnometer is a standard vessel often provided with a thermometer for

measuring and comparing the densities of liquids and solids.

2. Thermometer – A thermometer is an instrument used for measuring temperature

3. Density – Density is the quantity mass per unit volume

4. Chloroform – Chloroform is a colorless volatile heavy toxic liquid CHCl 3 with an ether

odor used especially as a solvent

5. Methanol –Methanol is a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH 3OH used

especially as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethyl alcohol and in the synthesis of

other chemicals.

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 APPENDIX C

Computations

Sample Computation (Trial 1)

Reference Liquid: Water

Weight of Water = (weight of pycnometer and water) + (weight of empty pycnometer)

Weight of Water = 59.4747 – 35.8573 = 23.6173 g

Density of Water = 0.99623 g/cmᶾ (using linear regression)

Volume of Water = 23.6173 g / 0.99623 g/cmᶾ = 23.70677 cmᶾ

Reference Liquid: Chloroform

Weight of Chloroform = 70.8184 – 35.8564 = 34.962 g

Density of Chloroform = (34.962)(0.99623) / (23.6173) = 1.4748 g/cmᶾ

Reference Liquid: Methanol

Weight of Methanol = 54.6090 – 35.8552 = 18. 7538 g

Density of Methanol = (18.7538)(0.99623) / 23.6173 = 0.7911 g/cmᶾ

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 APPENDIX D

Table 1. Temperature Dependence of Distilled Water Density

APPENDIX E

Documentation

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