Measuring the Adiabatic Index of Gases Using an Ultrasonic Sensor
Location
Turner Gymnasium
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Start Date
4-17-2024 12:00 PM
End Date
4-17-2024 1:15 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Chemistry
Abstract
This project aims to develop an apparatus capable of measuring the adiabatic index of a gas over a range of temperatures for use in an undergraduate physical chemistry curriculum. The design of the apparatus along with the obtained experimental results will be submitted to the Journal of Chemical Education for review. As the adiabatic index of a gas is related to the gas’s speed of sound, the proposed method will use an ultrasonic sensor to directly measure the speed of sound of the gas confined to a cylindrical cell. We will present the results from a current prototype used to successfully measure the speed of sound in gases such as argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. The next steps in the project involve measuring the speed of sound over a wider range of temperatures to observe the effect of vibrational motion on heat capacity. The current prototype is only capable of measuring temperatures from room temperature up to ~70 C, but a successful experiment will require a larger temperature range, given the slow rate of change between heat capacity and temperature. Therefore, we request funding to purchase additional materials to construct an improved apparatus made of a more robust material along with incorporating a higher-quality ultrasonic sensor.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Matthew Brynteson
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Measuring the Adiabatic Index of Gases Using an Ultrasonic Sensor
Turner Gymnasium
This project aims to develop an apparatus capable of measuring the adiabatic index of a gas over a range of temperatures for use in an undergraduate physical chemistry curriculum. The design of the apparatus along with the obtained experimental results will be submitted to the Journal of Chemical Education for review. As the adiabatic index of a gas is related to the gas’s speed of sound, the proposed method will use an ultrasonic sensor to directly measure the speed of sound of the gas confined to a cylindrical cell. We will present the results from a current prototype used to successfully measure the speed of sound in gases such as argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. The next steps in the project involve measuring the speed of sound over a wider range of temperatures to observe the effect of vibrational motion on heat capacity. The current prototype is only capable of measuring temperatures from room temperature up to ~70 C, but a successful experiment will require a larger temperature range, given the slow rate of change between heat capacity and temperature. Therefore, we request funding to purchase additional materials to construct an improved apparatus made of a more robust material along with incorporating a higher-quality ultrasonic sensor.