Discussion/Conclusion:

This lab was performed to determine the heat of vaporization of both ethanol and acetone. By graphing the inverse temperature vs. the natural log of pressure, it was possible to calculate the heat of vaporization. The results of this lab showed that the heat of vaporization for ethanol is 17459,4  J/mol and heat of vaporization for acetone is 18789.6 J/mol. Our lab successfully completed the lab however out results were not as high as they should have been according to the lab handout. These poor results may have been caused by not being able to securely contain the gases. If the rubber stopper was not secured in the beakers, or if the holes for the sensors allowed gas to escape, then the results would be compromised. Additionally, it was difficult to determine when the substances were boiling. We could have started recording data too early or to late which would skew results. The incorrect heat of vaporization we calculated could have come from these sources of error. To improve this lab in the future, there should be a more secure system to ensure the gas stay in the flask. This lab taught us how scientists find the heat of vaporization for substances. Also, we were able to observe how intermolecular forces affect the heat of vaporization. We were able to conclude that acetone has a lower heat of vaporization than ethanol.