Determination Of Relative Molecule Mass Volatile Compounds

Abstract

Volatile compounds are organic substances with relatively low molecular weights (50–200 Da) that readily vaporize upon heating, leading to a decline in aroma and flavor quality. The relative molecular mass of these compounds can be determined by measuring the vapor density of the released gas. In 1807, Dalton proposed the atomic theory, which explained that matter consists of indivisible particles. Atoms within a single element are identical in nature, yet they differ from the atoms belonging to other elements. The relative molecular mass is defined as the comparison between the mean molecular mass and the mass of a carbon-12 atom. Ideal gas theory assumes that gas particles are numerous, move randomly, have negligible intermolecular forces, and undergo perfectly elastic collisions in accordance with Newton’s laws of motion. The ideal gas law, formulated experimentally by Charles and Gay-Lussac in 1802, can be expressed as or, equivalently, , where R is the gas constant. In this study, the determination of the relative molecular mass of a volatile compound was carried out by measuring vapor density. Using chloroform (CHCl₃), the vapor density obtained was 3.692 g/L, corresponding to a relative molecular mass of 111.282 g/mol.