Charles’s Law
Volume - Temperature Activity
Name_______________________________________
Period:__________
The objective of this activity is to give the student the opportunity to explore the relationship between volume
and temperature for a gas when the temperature is varied and to graphically derive Charles' Law.
Materials:
large plastic transfer pipet
medium plastic transfer pipet
thin stem plastic transfer pipet
ruler with millimeter markings
beakers of cold and hot water
small amount of colored water
Styrofoam cups
hot plate
thermometer
Procedure:
1. Pour ice cold water into a Styrofoam cup (make sure only 1 ice cube is included). Immerse the medium
pipet bulb in a Styrofoam cum of cold water (0 oC to 5 oC) for two minutes.
2. Without removing the bulb from the cold water, use a thin stem transfer pipet to insert a small drop of
colored water into the stem of the pipet, just above the bulb, sealing the air in the pipet bulb. Measure
the distance in mm from the edge of the bulb to the back edge of the water drop. Record this distance
and the temperature of the water bath.
3. Slowly add hot water to the cold water to raise the temperature about 4-5 oC using the large pipet and hot
water. Stir and allow the temperature to stabilize for about 1 minute. Record the temperature of the
water and measure the new distance from the edge of the bulb to the water drop.
4. Repeat Step 3 as many times as possible until it is clear that additional heat would cause the drop to leave
the pipet stem. Try to increase by increments of about 4-5 oC.
5. The pipet bulb has a volume of approximately 4.80 mL. The pipet stem is 8.2 cm long and it holds exactly
1.0 mL of water when full. How can we use this as a conversion factor? How do we find total volume?
Data and *Calculation Table:
temp
temp (K) distance of gas Volume of gas in stem (mL) total volume pipet bulb & stem (mL)
o
( C)
*
in stem (cm) *
*
Calculations:
1. Graph and plot the volume of the gas versus the temperature in Kelvin. Remember the independent
variable is on the x-axis, dependent variable is on the y-axis. Draw a line of best fit through your data
points. It is very important for you to graph in KELVIN units.
2. What is the relationship between the volume and the temperature of a gas according to your data &
Graph?
3. Calculate the slope of the graph. (Show your work in the space provided and include units)
𝑚=
𝑦2 − 𝑦1
𝑥2 − 𝑥1
4. Using the slope equation for a straight line, show your work for algebraically finding the y intercept.
5. Using the slope equation for a straight line, show your work for algebraically finding the x intercept.
6. Now rewrite the line equation, including slope and units. However, instead of x & y as variables, use V
(volume)& T (temperature.
7. According to Charles Law, a temperature of 0 K should correspond to a volume of 0 mL. This would
make the x and y intercepts both 0. How close did your results come to supporting Charles Law?
8. If a balloon with 750 mL of volume at 85oC is suddenly cooled to a temperature of 0.0oC and the
pressure remains constant, what should be the new volume of the balloon?