FRANK KAYEYE
100886802
Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment was to calculate the heat capacity ratio γ for three gases find in three different classes. The three different gases and their classes are; helium which is classified as a monatomic gas, nitrogen which is classified as a diatomic gas and carbon dioxide, which is classified as a linear triatomic gas. After these experimental heat capacities ratio were calculated they were then compared with theoretical values.
Introduction:
Heat capacity is a very important concept in thermodynamics. It is directly used to calculate the entropies and enthalpies of a system. Kirchhoff ‘s law is used to find the change in heat of a reaction with respect to temperature if the heat capacities are known, and the entropies of substance can be calculated from heat capacity and temperature data. The heat capacity of a substance of system is the amount of energy required to raise its temperature by one degree kelvin. It is determined by heating a substance and measuring the amount of heat absorbed and the resulting rise in temperature. C=q/ΔT
In thermodynamics, heat capacity can be described as a path function. It can have any value. The two convenient thermodynamic paths are the constant volume (Cv), and the constant heat capacity (Cp), which have different values. The equation that relate these two heat capacities in a ideal gas is:
Cp= Cv+nR
The three different gas classes have different heat capacities. This is because molecules absorb heat differently, since there is three type of movements in molecules; translation, vibration, and