A comparison of the compressibilities of some gases with that of nitrogen at pressures below one atmosphere

Abstract

A differential method for comparing the compressibilities of gases at pressures below 1 atm. has been developed in which many of the errors inherent in methods employed previously have been to a large extent eliminated, especially those due to meniscus volume changes and capillary depression. Using pure nitrogen as a standard the low-pressure isothermals of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, oxygen, ethylene and propane have been determined at a temperature of 22-05° C. The deviations of the individual points from straight lines do not in most cases exceed 2 parts in 100,000. In no case, even with propane, was any curvature in the isotherms detectable. The contention of Moles and other recent workers that the molecular weights of liquefiable gases can be determined to a high degree of accuracy by linear extrapolation is rendered highly probable by this fresh evidence.