Introduction

The purpose of the lab is to get an understanding of the absolute zero and how it is used. The Absolute Zero Apparatus is used to experimentally determine the temperature of absolute zero (in degrees Celsius). Absolute zero, by definition, is the point at which a gas exerts zero pressure. With a computer, the Absolute Zero Apparatus can help observing the relationship between temperature and pressure and use DataStudio to mathematically extrapolate to find absolute zero.
The Absolute Zero Apparatus consists of a Fast Response Temperature Sensor and plastic tubing (with pressure connector) mounted into a hollow copper sphere. When the sphere is submerged in a water bath and connected to a temperature sensor, pressure sensor, and a computer interface, Capstone records and displays the temperature and pressure.
For an ideal gas, the absolute pressure is directly propositional to the absolute temperature of the gas.

$T=\frac{PV}{nR}=\frac{N}{nR}P$

Thus a plot of temperature vs. pressure will result in a linear function.

$y=(slope)x+b$

Where the dependent value $y$ is the temperature, the independent value $x$ is the pressure, and the slope is the volume of moles and the gas constant. The slope of the linear function depends on the amount of gas in the thermometer, but regardless of the amount of gas, the intercept of the line with the temperature axis should be at absolute zero. If the plot measured temperature in Celsius, the intercept will not be zero, but rather the temperature of absolute zero in degrees Celsius.