Chapter 17, Problem 87GP

(III) You have a vial of an unknown liquid which might be octane (gasoline), water, glycerin, or ethyl alcohol. You are trying to determine its identity by studying how its volume changes with temperature changes. You fill a Pyrex graduated cylinder to 100.00 mL with the liquid when the liquid and the cylinder are at 0.000°C. You raise the temperature in five-degree increments, allowing the graduated cylinder and liquid to come to equilibrium at each temperature. You read the volumes listed below off the graduated cylinder at each temperature. Take into account the expansion of the Pyrex glass cylinder. Graph the data, possibly using a spreadsheet program, and determine the slope of the line to find the effective (combined) coefficient of volume expansion β. Then determine β for the liquid and which liquid is in the vial.