Question

Develop a procedure to determine the ideal gas law constant R from:

NaHCO3 (s) + CH3COOH (aq)--> NaCH3COO (aq) + CO2(g) + H20 (l)

so that different amounts of CO2 will be produced and collected from NaHCO3 powder and ~0.5 mol/L CH3COOH solution and the following equipment: test tubes, small vials, stopper, tubing, water trough, graduated cylinders, and erlemeyer flasks. Please help!

Answer 1

The ideal gas law constant R is given by

for any stoichimetric equation at standard conditions R can be calculated by the above equation

1) let the experiment be conducted at P=1atm and T=273K take calculated amounts of sodium bicarbonate and mix 0.5mol of acetic acid to each of the testtubes containing sodiumbicarbonate collect the amount of carbondioxide liberated.

2) substitute the volume obtained in the given equation to gett the gas constant value.

for example if 0.69gms of sodium bicarbonate is taken then (0.69gms = 0.01mole)

0.69 gms of sodium bicarbonate is the limiting reagent which decides the amount of carbondioxide formed

so according to stoichimetry

1mole of sodiumbicarbonate forms 1mole of carbondioxide hence 0.01 mole produces 0.01mole of CO2

one mole of CO2 =22.4lit

then0.01mole =0.224lit

then R value is

repeat the calculations for all the masses of sodiumcarbonate taken.