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Absolute Zero
Introduction
In this lab, temperature and pressure measurements as well as the Ideal Gas Law will be used to extrapolate the absolute zero value on the Celsius scale.
Theoretical Background
The interaction of molecules via random collisions creates an ideal gas where the temperature, T, volume, V, and pressure, P, relate according to equation [1]. For a rigid container, the volume is assumed to be constant, where equation [1] can be rewritten as shown in equation [2]. In this case, P varies linearly with T, such that T = 00 when P = 0. However, the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales are non-absolute, implying that T = 00 is not designed to coincide with zero pressure. The absolute scale (or Kelvin scale)
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The stereo plug will be connected to the temperature sensor while the hose will be fitted to the pressure sensor. The sphere will be sealed in order to prevent the entry or exit of gas molecules in the system. By doing so, a constant number of moles, n, will be maintained.
Digital displays for temperature and pressure will be displayed from the Data Studio output. Finally, a curve of pressure versus temperature will be plotted using the data acquisition software.
Three water baths will be prepared in buckets: (i) hot water, (ii) water at room temperature, and (iii) ice-cold water. Afterwards, the sphere will be submerged in the ice-cold water bath to facilitate data acquisition. The data will be saved after the temperature stabilizes.
A random data point will be selected from the room temperature bath. Subsequently, the bath will be dosed with rounds of cold water pours until the temperature stabilizes. A data point will also be selected from the bath.
Finally, a random data point will be selected from the hot water bath. At least four data points matching pressure and temperature measurements will be used to establish the linear correlation between the