EGE UNIVERSITY-DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT 10
ENTHALPHY OF VAPORISATION OF WATER
FROM VAPOR PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
Group III:
Ceren Kaymaz 05090000458
Murat Simav 05090000456
Orhun Uzdiyem 05040006550
Fatma Acar 05080009803

27.04.2011/Wednesday

SUBMITTED TO
Kim. Y. Müh. Pınar DEMİR

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents..........................................................................................................................2
SUMMARY..................................................................................................................................3
AIM ............................................................................................................................................4
RESULTS......................................................................................................................................5
NOMENCLATURE....................................................................................................................9

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SUMMARY
In this report, you will be informed about the determination the enthalpy of vaporisation
of water from vapour pressure measurement.
In this experiment, water is used as chemical and 10 cm 3 cylinder, thermometer, a tall
beaker and a bunsen burner is used as experimental apparatus.
It is expected to calculate the enthalpy of vaporisation of water by plotting a straight
line whose slope gives the ∆ H/R.

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AIM
The aim of the experiment is determining the enthalpy of vaporisation of water as a
function of temperature with Clasius – Clapeyron equation ahead of experimental data.

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RESULTS
Table 1. Experimental data for volume(ml) and temperature(0C) at every 50C during
heating.
0
Volume(ml) C
4,3 21
4,4 26
4,5 31
4,7 36
4,8 41
5 46
5,3 51
5,6 56
6 61

Table 2. Experimental data for volume(ml) and temperature(0C) at every 0.2 ml

decrease in total volume trapped within the graduated cylinder.

Volume(ml) Substracted 0
C K
Volume
6,4 6,2 63 336

6,2 6 61,5 334,5

6 5,8 60 333

5,8 5,6 58 331

5,6 5,4 56 329

4,1 5 278

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 Table 3. Calculated Values
Pair(atm) Pwater(atm) 1/T lnP
0,8 0,2 0,00298 -1,609
0,823 0,177 0,00299 -1,731
0,847 0,153 0,003 -1,877
0,872 0,128 0,00302 -2,056
0,899 0,101 0,00304 -2,293

Figure 1. (1/T) vs ln(P)

ΔH(experimental) = 98.105 kJ/mol*k

Relative Error = 141.3 % 

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DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
In this experiment we investigate the enthalpy of vaporisation of water from the
measurement of vapor pressure at various temperature and applying them in Clausius-
Clapeyron equation.

The relationship between the temperature of a liquid and its vapor pressure is not a
straight line. The vapor pressure of water, for example, increases significantly more rapidly
than the temperature of the system. This behavior can be explained with the Clausius-
Clapeyron equation.

According to this equation, the rate at which the natural logarithm of the vapor pressure
of a liquid changes with temperature is determined by the molar enthalpy of vaporization of the
liquid, the ideal gas constant, and the temperature of the system. If we assume that Hvap does
not depend on the temperature of the system, the Clausius-Clapeyron equation can be written in
the following integrated form where C is a constant.

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 The procedure used in this experiment is in that way, 8 mL of water sample is taken
in a graduated cylinder firstly. The open side of the graduated cylinder is closed with the help
of any group member when placing the graduated cylinder under the water. We put the
graduated cylinder in a beher glass fulled with water. A thermometer is also placed in the
water. And then the beher glass is put onto a Bunsen burner,which is a heater. Furthermore
the heater is turned on and the beher glass and water are heated. The measurement part is
applied in this chapter. The volume changed is measured in each 5˚C increase in the
thermometer until the temperature reaches 61˚C. Our first temperature was 21˚C . The volume
changes which is due to vapour pressure increase is measured in each increase.Then the beher
glass is taken out from the heater. This time it is cooled, we put a piece of ice in the glass. In
each 0.2 mL decrease in volume we measured the temperature until the 5˚C temperature is
seen on the thermometer. The data that is obtained while cooling are used to calculate the mol
number of present in the air. Then pressure of water vapor and the pressure of the air are
found, the slope of lnP vs 1/T is drawed by using Microsoft Excel. Also by using Clasius –
Clapeyron Equation and the graph, the enthalpy of vaporization ,∆Hvap is found.

According to the our calculations, the enthalpy of vaporization of water is found

98105 J/mol. But the theoritical value of the enthalpy of vaporization of water is 40656
J/mol. This error can be explained by several factors:

• The atmospheric pressure is 1 atm,

• The volume of vapour is much greater than that of the liquid vapourised,
• The vapour behaves like an ideal gas.
• The incorrect reading of water level in tube.

Except these only five measurements are taken during the experiment. If the number
of these measurements are higher, the actual value of the enthalpy of vaporization of water
will be closer to the theoritical value.

In conclusion, we calculated the enthalpy of vaporization of water. During the

experiment we measured volumes at different temperatures and use them in calculating the
enthapy. We also learned how to read the values of thermometer and graduated cylinder. We
see that we assumptions have very big importance while calculating the actual value of
enthalpy.
NOMENCLATURE
V → Volume (mL)
T → Temperature (K)
P → Pressure (atm)
n → Mole number (mol)
R → Ideal gas law constant (J.K-1.mol-1)
∆Hvap → Enthalpy of vaporization (kJ/mol)
 REFERENCES
1. Chang Raymond, Chemistry, 2005, McGraw Hill, Higher Education, Boston

2. Felder, R. M. , Rousseau, R. W. , 1986, Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes,

John Wiley & Sons
APPENDIX
1. Assuming that the vapour pressure of water is negligible compared to atmospheric
pressure at the low temperature, calculation of moles of trapped air:
Patn = Pwater +Pair @ T= 50C Pwater = 0
Patn = Pair =760mmHg = 1 atm
@ 50C Vair = 4.1 mL
PV = nRT
1*4.1*10-3 = n*0.082*(273+5)
n = 1.8*10-4 mol

2. For each temperature between 630C and 560C calculation of the partial pressure of air
in the gas mixture.
P(air)=n(air)*R*T/V

@ 630C

Pair = (1.8*10-4 *0.082 * (273+63)) / (6.2*10-3)

Pair = 0.8 atm

@ 61.50C

Pair = (1.8*10-4 *0.082 * (273+61.5)) / (6*10-3)

Pair=0.823 atm

@ 600C

Pair = (1.8*10-4 *0.082 * (273+60)) / (2.5*10-3)

Pair=0.847 atm

@ 580C

Pair = (1.8*10-4 *0.082 * (273+58)) / (5.6*10-3)

Pair = 0.872 atm

@ 560C

Pair = (1.8*10-4 *0.082 * (273+56)) / (5.4*10-3)

Pair=0.899 atm
3. Calculation of the vapour pressure of water at each temperature.

P(water)= P(atm) – P(air)

@ 630C
P(water) = 1-0.8 = 0.2 atm
@ 61.50C
P(water) = 1-0.823 = 0.177 atm
@ 600C
P(water) = 1-0.847 = 0.153 atm
@ 580C
P(water) = 1-0.872 = 0.128 atm
@ 560C
P(water) = 1-0.899 = 0.101 atm

4. Plotting lnP(water) & 1/T and drawing the best straight line.
5. Determination of ∆ Hvap from the slope.

Slope = 11800 = ΔH/R

ΔH = 98105 J/mol*k

ΔH(real) = 40.656 kJ/mol*k

6. Relative Error

Rel.Err. = [abs(real value – experimental value) / real value]*100

Rel.Err. = 141.3 % 