On July 10, 1908, liquid helium was prepared for the first time in the laborator

Question

On July 10, 1908, liquid helium was prepared for the first time in the laboratory of Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in Leiden, Netherlands. We now know that boiling point for helium is 4.2 K. Prior to this date, the coldest temperature ever to occur on our planet (to our knowledge) was 20 K (the boiling point of liquid hydrogen). Suppose that you were there and it was your job to figure out how to accurately measure the temperature of liquid helium that was boiling. How would you do it? Although you do not need to do a calculation to answer this, you do need to specify at least three important details in order to adequately answer the question. (Historical note: Three years later superconductivity was discovered in Kamerlingh Onnes’s lab. This was made possible by having access to liquid helium.)

Explanation / Answer

*Because of the very weak interatomic forces in helium I would know that the temperature required will be very low .

*I could have measured the density of the liquid helium and as i know the pressure is 1 atm could have easily calculated the temperature of the liquid helium by the formula

PM = DRT

P= pressure , M = molecular wt , D = density , R = gas constant , T = Temperature

*I would also see if the isotope present is helium 4 or helium 3 as these are the two important isotopes present. And the temperature would vary for both of them . So i would detect which of the isotope is present for which i am calculating the temperature

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