Sourabh Das

25/01/2014

Measuring the Pressure Required to Make Popcorn

Pre-Lab:
1. The ideal gas law equation is PV=nRT 2. As the temperature rises and and the volume remains the same, the pressure increases. With the pressure so high, the popcorn kernel pops, and the water molecules in vapour form, escape. 3. The variables in the ideal gas law are pressure, volume, number of moles, temperature, and the constant R. So to calculate the pressure, V, n, R, and T must all be known. R is a constant. Volume and Temperature must be measured. And to calculate n, the mass of the gas must also be measured and divided by the molar mass.

4. V = 0.0025 L n = 0.015 mol R = 8.3145 T = 180C = 453.15K PV = nRT P= = 23,000 kPa

Question:
What is the pressure required to burst a kernel of popcorn

Observations:
Volume (V/L) Initial Volume Final Volume Mass (m/g)

Difference Analysis: