LABORATORY REPORT

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY II (EP 110)

NUMBER OF EXPERIMENT: 4

EXPERIMENT TITLE: DETERMINATION OF RATIO OF HEAT CAPACITY

GROUP NUMBER: 4

STUDENT NAME: AZMAN BIN ABDUL KARIM

STUDENT ID: 1001542693

TUTOR’S NAME: WAN ADEEBAH BINTI WAN MAHMOOD

UCSI UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY & BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DATE OF EXPERIMENT : DATE OF SUBMISSION :

3 FEBRUARY 2017 10 FEBRUARY 2017
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO TITLE PAGE

1 Objective 1

2 Introduction 2-5

3 Material and Apparatus 6

4 Procedure 7

5 Result and Calculation 8-9

7 Discussion 10

8 Conclusion 11

9 Limitation and Precaution Step 12

10 References 13

11 Appendix 14

12 Rubric Form 15
DETERMINATION OF RATIO OF
HEAT CAPACITY
 OBJECTIVE

1. To determine the ratio of heat capacity and compares it to the theoretical value.

2. To identify and clarify the process of obtaining ratio of heat capacity.

3. To investigate the ratio of the heat capacity using adiabatic method.

1
 INTRODUCTION

The Perfect gas expansion Apparatus from model TH11 is a sufficient bench top unit

designed in order to expose the student and familiar with the fundamental thermodynamic

processes.

This experiment likely safe and more convenient to demonstrate thermodynamicprope

rties. The apparatus has two vessels, one is for pressurized chamber and the other one is for

vacuum chamber. This apparatus also equips with pressurized pump and vacuum pump and

several valve which can connect between chambers and also to the surrounding. The chamber

is made from glass that can withstand maximum pressure of apparatus can operate. The

apparatus also equipped with temperature and pressure sensors for both tanks which can be

read on the board. These sensors used to monitor and manipulate the pressure and

temperature. The board displays the temperature and pressure in a digital indicator that dealt

with the PVT laws.

The heat capacity is a constant that tells how much heat is added per unit

temperature rise. The heat capacity can be represented as Cp, which indicates the heat

capacity of a gas in a system with constant pressure. Also, the heat capacity can be

represented as Cv, for heat capacity of a gas in a system with constant volume (Materials and

Enegery Balance). These are derived for an equation of relating to the isobaric and isochoric

processes, which finally led to a simple equation for the heat capacity of ideal gas:

Cp – Cv = R
 For the ideal gas state, the heat capacity may be expressed through statistical

mechanics in terms of the contributions to the translational and internal energies of the

molecules. In turn, some of the internal contribution arising from rotational, vibrational and

electronic modes of motion can often then be determined from spectroscopic measurement of

the frequencies of the normal mode of motion of the molecule. For many molecules, this

process provides a more accurate means of determining the ideal-gas heat capacity of the

material than direct measurement.

As the density is increased from the ideal gas state, the energy of the ensemble of

molecules acquires a component arising from the interactions between molecules (the

configurational part) and this cannot be evaluated theoretically for any but the simplest

molecules so that the only source of information on the heat capacity is then from direct or

indirect measurement. When there are no measurements available it is necessary to have

recourse to estimation methods.

For a perfect gas,

Cp = Cv + R Where, Cp = molar heat capacity at constant pressure, and

Cv = molar heat capacity at constant volume.
For a real gas a relationship may be defined between the heat capacity, which is dependent on
the equation of state, although it is more complex than that for a perfect gas. The heat
capacity ratio may then be determined experimentally using a twostep process.

At constant volume the heat capacity relates the change in temperature to the change in
internal energy,
dU = CvdT

Substituting in to equation x,
CvdT = -pdV

Substituting in the ideal gas law and then integrating gives,

MATERIALS AND APPARATUS
 PROCEDURE

1. The general start up method was performed. All the valves was fully closed.

2. The compressive pump was connected to pressurized chamber with a hose.

3. The compressive pump was switched on and the pressure inside the chamber

was allowed to increase until about 150kPa. Then, the pump was switched off

and the hose was removed from the chamber.

4. The pressure reading inside the chamber was monitored until is stabilized. The

pressure reading PT 1 and temperature TT 1were recorded.

5. The valve V 01 was fully opened and brought back to closed until after a few

seconds. The reading PT 1 and temperature TT 1 were monitored and recorded

until they became stable.

6. The ratio of the heat capacity was determined and then compared with the

theoretical value.
 RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS

𝑷𝟏 𝑷𝟐 𝑷𝟑

147.5 128.3 131.3

𝐶𝑝 𝐼𝑛 𝑃1 − 𝐼𝑛 𝑃2
ɣ= =
𝐶𝑣 𝐼𝑛 𝑃1 − 𝐼𝑛 𝑃3

Theoretical Value

𝑘𝐽
𝐶𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 1.005
𝑘𝑔𝐾

𝑘𝐽
𝐶𝑣 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 0.718
𝑘𝑔𝐾

𝐶𝑝
k=
𝐶𝑣

1.005
k=
0.718

= 1.400, Ratio of heat capacity for air is 1.400

Experimental Value

𝐶𝑝 𝐼𝑛 𝑃1 −𝐼𝑛 𝑃2
Ratio of heat capacity; =
𝐶𝑣 𝐼𝑛 𝑃1 −𝐼𝑛 𝑃3

𝐶𝑝 𝐼𝑛 147.5 − 𝐼𝑛 128.3
=
𝐶𝑣 𝐼𝑛 147.5 − 𝐼𝑛 131.3

= 1.199, Ratio of heat capacity of air is 1.199

The difference between the theoretical Value and Experimental Value;

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 1.4 − 1.199

= × 100% = 14.35%
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 1.4
 DISCUSSION

The determination of ratio of heat capacity using the expression of the heat capacity ratio, the

heat capacity ratio is calculated to be 1.199. This value deviated a little from the theoretical value

which is 1.4. Hence, the percentage errors calculated are 14.35%. The deviation is due to

measurement error. The actual intermediate pressure supposed to be lowered that the measured one.

Unfortunately, the error occurs due to heat loss and sensitivity of pressure sensors. This could’ve been

also due to environmental factors affecting the stability of the pressure and temperature or random

mistakes done during the experiment. Supposed, the intermediate pressure taken as the lowest

pressure at the moment the valve is closed. Since the percentage difference is more than 10%, the

experiment can be declared as failed.

The adiabatic compression method cannot be considered the best method for determine the

ratio of heat capacity. The apparatus can provide conditions that are approximately adiabatic. Besides

that, during the compression, the value of pressure and temperature changes so rapidly and does not

give an accurate data. If and only if the reading could be taken in a shorter gap, the data will be much

more accurate. However, the initial temperature and pressure are likely to be accurate as it is difficult

to be obtain. This is because it is difficult to determine the peak of the temperature and pressure as the

value of the perfect gas expansion changes very fast.

 CONCLUSION

Conclusion for this experiment is related to heat capacity ratio, the experiment fails maybe

because of the intermediate pressure not taken after the valve is closed. The ratio of heat

capacity gives the capacity or amount of heat that could be taken up by the gas in expansion

process. The theoretical and experimental ratio is determined and the percentage of error is

14.35%. In conclusion, the experiment is successfully done and the objective of the

experiment is achieved.
 LIMITATION AND PRECAUTION STEP

1) The experiments must be done under the ideal gas properties measurement and

obeying the P-V-T relationship.

2) Before the experiment begun, the general starts up method had to be performed

repeatedly in order to minimize side effects which could in turn also jeopardize the

results.

3) The apparatus must be handled carefully to avoid any accidents in the lab such as

explosion due to excessive pressure within the chambers. They must all be adjusted

and connected to the right ports.

4) The valves had to be watched and opened carefully in accordance to the procedures or

manuals given to avoid any mistakes.

5) Lastly always keep eyes on the sensor while monitoring the board because the

temperature or pressure could increase or decrease really fast.

6) Before experiment is proceed, the initial reading must at atmospheric pressure for

both chamber. Tighten the hose before pumping.

 REFERENCE

1. Reid, R., Prausnitz, J.M., and Sherwood, T.K. (1977) The Properties of Gases and

Liquids, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill.

2. de Reuck, K. M. and Craven, R. J. B. (1993) International Thermodynamic Tables of

the Fluid State—12: Methanol, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford.

3. Specific heat, Retrieved February 7, 2017, from

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/specheat.html

4. Arthur W. Adamson, (1979), A Textbook of Physical Chemistry: Chapter Six: The

Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics & Chapter 14, 2nd Edition, University of

Southern California, Page 173-225, 543-601.

5. Martin Silberberg, 2007, Principles of General Chemistry, 1st Edition, McGraw-Hill.

APPENDIX