A modification of the text experiment to determine the heat capacity ratio of gases is used to find the heat capacity ratio for two gases. A differential pressure transducer is used instead of a manometer in addition to other changes.

"Experiments in Physical Chemistry", Nibler, Garland, and Shoemaker, Seventh Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003, pp. 104-112.

William M. Moore, J. Chem. Ed. 61, 1119-1120 (1984).

The heat capacity ratio for a gas may be found by performing an adiabatic expansion of a gas. The general theory of the process is found in the text

Large Carboy, gas cylinders with regulators, differential pressure meter, laboratory barometer.

Nitrogen, Helium, Carbon Dioxide.

Figure 1 

The laboratory procedure differs from that in the text in that a differential pressure transducer is used to measure the difference in pressure between the carboy and the room. The output of the transducer is read on a voltmeter which is attached to the terminals of the transducer box. The transducer should read 1.000 volts when the carboy is open to the atmosphere if it does not read 1.000 volts, the value greater than 1.000 must be subtracted from all the readings. The transducer is calibrated to cover 0 to 1 psi in the voltage range 1 to 5 v. That is 1 volt represents 0 psi difference and 5 volts indicates 1 psi difference in pressure. The actual pressure is found by adding the differential pressure to the barometric pressure found from the laboratory barometer. When adding gas to the carboy, the maximum buildup of gas pressure should be about 3 v on the differential pressure meter.

Calculations should proceed as described in the text, except that the voltage reading must be converted to pressure units of mm of Hg. This may be done by a linear conversion.