APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT:

Perfect gas expansion apparatus, model TH 11

PROCEDURES:
General start-up
1. The equipments are connected to single phase power supply and the unit is switch on.
2. Then, open all valves and the pressure reading panel. This is to make sure that the
chambers are under atmospheric pressure.
3. After that, close all the valves.
4. Next, connect the pipe from compressive port of the pump to pressure chamber or
connect the pipe from vacuum port of the pump to vacuum chamber. The connect must
not does at the same time.
5. Now, the unit is ready to use.
Experiment 1
1. The general start up procedure is performed. Make sure all valve are fully closed.
2. Compressive pump is switch on and allowed the pressure inside the chamber to increase
up to about 150kPa. Then, switch off the pump and remove the hose from the chamber.
3. The pressure reading inside the chamber is monitor until the reading stabilizes.
4. The pressure reading for both chambers is recorded before expansion.
5. Open V02 fully and allowed the pressurized air flow into the atmospheric chamber.
6. The pressure reading for both chambers after expansion is recorded.
7. The experiment is repeated under difference condition:
a) From atmospheric chamber to vacuum chamber.
b) From pressurized chamber to vacuum chamber.
8. Then, calculated the PV value and prove the Boyles Law.

Experiment 3
1. The general start up is perform make sure all valve are fully closed.
2. The hose form compressive pump is connected to pressurized chamber.

3. The compressive pump is switch on and allowed the pressure inside the chamber to
increase until about 160kPa. Then, switch off the pump and remove the hose from the
chamber.
4. The pressure reading inside is monitor until it is stabilizes. The pressure reading PT1 and
temperature reading TT1 are recorded.
5. Then, open the valve V 01 slightly and allow the air flow out slowly until it reach
atmospheric pressure.
6. The pressure of the reading and the temperature reading after the expansion process are
recorded.
7. The isentropic expansion process is discussed.
Experiment 4
1. Perform the general start up procedures. Make sure all valve are fully closed.
2. The hose is connected from the compressive pump to the pressurized chamber.
3. The compressive pump is swatch on and allowed the pressure inside the chamber to
increase until about 160kPa. Then, switch off the pump and remove the hose from the
chamber.
4. The pressure reading is monitor until it is stabilizes. Recorded the pressure reading PT1.
5. The valves V 01 is open fully and bring it back to the closed position instantly. Monitor
and recorded the pressure reading PT1 until it became stable.
6. Repeated step5 for at least 4 times.
7. The pressure is display on the graph and discuss.
Experiment 6
1. Perform the general start up procedure. Make sure all valve is close
2. The compressive pump is switch on and allows the pressure inside the chamber increase
up to 150kPa. Then, switch off the pump and remove the hose from the chamber.
3. The pressure reading inside the chamber is monitor until it stabilizes.
4. The pressure reading for both chambers before the expansion is recorded.
5.

The V 02 is open and allows the pressure air flow into the atmospheric chamber slowly.

6. The pressure reading for both chambers after the expansion is recorded.

7. The experiment procedure is repeated for difference condition

a) From atmospheric chamber to vacuum chamber.
b) From pressurized chamber to vacuum chamber.
8. Then, the ratio of the volume is calculated and compare with the theoretical value.
Experiment 7
1. The general start up is performs. Make sure all valve is fully close.
2. The compressive pump is connected to pressurized chamber.
3. The compressive pump is switch on and allows the pressure inside the chamber to
increase until about 160kPa. Then, switch off the pump and remove the hose from the
chamber.
4. The pressure reading inside the chamber is monitor until is stabilized. The recorded the
pressure reading PT1 and temperature TT1.
5. Open the valve V 01 fully and bring it to close until after a few seconds. Monitor and
recorded the reading PT1 and temperature TT1 until it become stable.
6. The ratio of the heat capacity is determines and then compare with the theoretical value.
9.

RESULT
Experiment 1: Boys Law Experiment
Condition

Types of Chamber
Pressure (kpa)
Vacuum
102.9
Before Expansion
Pressure
138.8
Vacuum
126.0
After Expansion
Pressure
126.8
Table: Pressure reading for both chambers before and after expansion

Temperature (oC)
25.2
25.6
25.1
26.4

Experiment 3: Isentropic Expansion Process

Condition
Pressure, PT1 (kPa)
Temperature, TT1 (oC)
Before Expansion
151.9
27.1
After Expansion
103.5
25.1
Table: The pressure and temperature reading in pressurized chamber
Experiment 4: Stepwise Depressurization
Pressure, PT1 (kPa)
Before
After Expansion
1st Trial
Expansion
153.9
127.3

2nd Trial

3rd Trial

4th Trial

111.5

104.5

103.8

Response of pressurized vessel following stepwise depressurization

140
120
100
80

Pressure (kPa)

60
40
20
0
1st Expansion

2nd Expansion

3rd Expansion

4th Expansion

Expansion

Experiment 6

Part
PT 1 to PT 2
PT 2 to PT 1

Pressure (kPa)
PT 1
Before expansion After expansion
145.2
131.1
104.1
117.9

Experiment 7

Before expansion

After expansion

Pressure (kPa)

154.2

108.8

Temperature (oC)

25.4

26.7

SAMPLE OF CALCULATION

Before expansion
105.6
145.5

PT 2
After expansion
129.5
117.0

Experiment 1: Boyles Law Experiment

Ideal gas equation, PV=RT.
For Boyles law, temperature is constant at room temperature, T= 298.15 @ 25C
Hence, R= 8.314

L. kPa
K . mol

For Pressure vessel:

Before expansion = 138.8 kPa,
After Expansion = 126.8 kPa.
Then V1 and V2 is calculated
V1

RT
P1

( 298.15 K ) (1 mol)
(8.314 KL ..kPa
mol )
138.8 kPa

= 17.86 L
V2

RT
P2

( 298.15 K ) (1 mol)
(8.314 KL ..kPa
mol )
126.8 kPa

= 19.55 L
By using Boyles law
P1V1 = P2V2
(138.8kPa) (17.86L) = (126.8kPa) (19.55L)
2478.968 kPa.L = 2478.94 kPa.L

P1V1 P2V2 (proved)

The difference between P1V1 and P2V2 is only 0.028, hence, the Boyles Law is verified.

Experiment 3: Isentropic Expansion Process

(

k1

T 2 P2 k
=
T1
P1

T2/T1 = (P2 / P1)(k-1 / k)

(25.1) / (27.1) = [(103.5) / (151.9)](k-1 / k)
0.9262 = (0.6814) (k-1 / k)
ln 0.9262 = [(k-1)/ k] ln 0.6814
-0.0767 = [(k-1)/k](-0.3836)
0.1999 = [(k-1)/k]
k = 1.34
The difference is (1.4-1.34) x 100 = 6%
Where
actual k = 1.4
theoretical k = 1.34

Experiment 6
1) Pressure chamber to vaccum chamber
P1V1 = P2V2
V2/ V1 = P1/ P2
V2/ V1 = 131.1/ 145.2
V2/ V1 = 0.903

In vacuum chamber:
P1V1 = P2V2
V2/ V1 = P1/ P2
V2/ V1 = 105.6 / 129.5
V2/ V1 = 0.815
Theoretical value
V 2/ V1 = 15 / 25
= 0.6
2) Atmospheric chamber to vaccum chamber
P1V1 = P2V2
V2/ V1 = P1/ P2
V2/ V1 = 104.1 / 117.0
V2/ V1 = 0.88
Experiment 7: Determination of Heat Capacity
The expression of heat capacity ratio is:
Cv T 2
ln =
R T1

-ln

where,

V2
V1

V2
=
V1

Cv
298 .55 K
ln
=
L . kPa 299.85 K
8.314
K . mol

P1 T 1
P2 T 2

-ln

(154.2 kPa)( 298.5 5 K )

(1 08.8 kPa)(29 9 .85 K )

L. kPa
K . mol

Cv = 665.88

Cp = Cv + R
L. kPa
K . mol

Cp = 665.88

= 674.204

L. kPa
K . mol

8.314

L. kPa
K . mol

Therefore, the ratio is:

Cp
CV

L .kPa
)
K . mol
L. kPa
(665.8
)
K . mol

(674.204
=

= 1.026

The theoretical value of

Percentage error =

Cp
C V is 1.4

Theoretical value Actual value

Actual value

1.41.0 26
1.0 26

= 36.40%

x 100

x 100%

DISCUSSION
According to Lange,1969, Boyles Law stated that the gas pressure is inversely proportional to
the volume of the container with constant temperature. The boyles law relationship is expressed
as P1V1=P2V2 (Boyle's Law - pressure, 2012). Based on the experiment conducted of the gas
movement from pressurized chamber to atmospheric chamber, the initial reading of pressure
before the expansion is 138.8kPa and after expansion show the reading of 126.8kPa. while in the
vaccum vessel, the initial reading of pressure is 102.9kPa and the after expansion the reading
shown is 126.0kPa. The value of PV based on the calculation done for before and after expansion
are 2478.968 kPa.L and 2478.94 kPa.L respectively. The Boyes Law can be verified because the
difference between the two calculated values is just 0.028.
Next, Isentropic expansion process occurs when the system are reversible and adiabatic
where no heat will be transferred in or out and no energy transformation occurs(Edmund,2009).
From the data recorded, a constant k is now known which is equal to 1.34. Based on this
experiment conducted, the pressure had drop from 151.9kPa to 103.5kPa and so the temperature
that drop from 27.1 to 25.1. According to Ahrens,1967, the process was then said to be isentropic
as the expanding gas does not exchange the heat with the surrounding throughout the process.
The different of ks value is only 5%,which prove the process can be said as isentropic.
Stepwise depressurization is a strategy to adopt an equal time-stepwise depressurization
approach. In experiment 4, the Stepwise Depressurization show by the graph above shows the
relationship between pressure and temperature. From this graph, we can conclude that the
pressure increase accordingly with temperature. Thus, the pressure is directly relation to the
temperature.
In the last two experiments, the volume ratio and heat capacity were determined. In
experiment 6, by using Boyles law equation, it can be manipulated to determine the volume
ratio of gas. From the equation P1V1=P2V2, the ratio of volume is solved. After rearranging the

equation, the ratio of volume is

V2
V1

P1
P2

. For the heat capacity, the difference between

the resulted value of heat capacity ratio and the theoretical value is about 36.41%. This value
also deviated quite much from the theoretical value and can be explained by the accidental
mistakes done.

1) Norbert A. Lange .1969. Langes Handbook of Chemistry, 10th Edition. McGraw-Hill,

page 1524
2) Edmund Y. Ting, C. L. (2009). Systems and methods to slowly reduce the pressure in a
pressure chamber over time . 1-2.
3) Ahrens, M. C. (1967). Thermodynamic of the Adiabatic Expansion of a Mixture of Two
Phases. American Journal of Physics, 1-5.