Gases

 and  Atmospheric  Chemistry  

In  this  package  you  will  be  working  through  the  main  highlights/expectations  of  the  
Gases  unit  for  SCH  3U.  This  content  will  give  you  the  background  necessary  to  be  
prepared  for  the  gases  component  common  in  most  first  year  university  chemistry  
classes.  
 
States  of  Matter  and  Kinetic  Molecular  Theory:  
The  KMT  is  used  to  explain  the  properties  of  solids,  liquids  and  gases  based  on  the  
types  of  motion  that  they  are  undergoing.  All  matter,  even  solids,  are  made  up  tiny  
particles  that  are  constantly  in  motion.  The  freedom  and  energy  of  the  motion  
dictates  the  state  that  a  substance  is  in.  

The  kinetic  molecular  theory  makes  the  following  assumptions:  

1. All  matter  is  made  up  of  very  small  particles,  known  as  atoms  or  
molecules.  
2. There  are  empty  spaces  between  the  particles.  The  distance  between  
particles  is  large  compared  to  their  size.  
3. These  particles  are  in  constant  motion.    
a. The  particles  in  a  solid  are  held  close  together  by  strong  
attractive  forces;  the  particles  vibrate  but  cannot  move  around.    
b. The  particles  in  a  liquid  are  held  together  more  loosely  by  
weaker  attractive  forces;  the  particles  can  move  around,  
colliding  into  other  particles  and  into  the  container.  Gravity  
keeps  the  liquid  in  the  bottom  of  the  container  but  they  exert  
enough  attractive  force  to  form  a  bubble  (easily  seen  in  drops  
of  liquid  mercury).    
c. The  particles  in  a  gas  are  very  loosely  held  together  by  much  
weaker  attraction  forces;  they  can  move  freely  around,  filling  
the  entire  space  available  in  the  container.    
4. Their  collisions  are  perfectly  elastic,  meaning  that  particles  do  not  
lose  their  kinetic  energy  by  colliding  with  each  other.  
5. If  heat  is  added  to  a  substance,  its  particles  gain  energy  and  move  
faster.  

A gas occupies the entire container

A solid has a rigid shape A liquid takes the shape of its container
and takes its shape
Points  to  consider:  

a) Why  do  solids  have  a  definite  shape  and  volume?  

b) Why  are  gases  easily  compressible  
c) Use  the  KMT  to  explain  how  a  substance  would  change  from  one  state  to  
another  (ex.  Solid  to  liquid  to  gas)  
d) Use  the  KMT  to  explain  why  the  scent  of  perfume  would  spread  more  slowly  
outdoors  in  winter  than  it  does  in  the  summer.  

Atmospheric  Pressure:  

Pressure  is  the  force  per  unit  area.  When  we  are  talking  about  a  gas,  the  pressure  is  
the  force  exerted  by  the  molecules  of  the  gas  on  its  container  by  the  particles  
colliding  with  the  surface  of  the  container.  The  smaller  the  area  that  the  same  force  
is  being  exerted  on  the  greater  the  pressure.  

There  are  many  different  units  that  we  can  use  to  represent  pressure.  Some  of  the  
common  ones  include:  

Unit  Name   Unit  Symbol   Definition/Conversion  

Pascal   Pa   1Pa=1N/m2  
Millimetres  Mercury   Mm  Hg   760  mmHg  =  1atm  =  
101.325  kPa  
Torr   Torr   1  Torr  =  1  mm  Hg  
Atmosphers   Atm   1  atm  =  101.325  kPa  
Pounds  per  square  inch   Psi   1  psi  =  6895  Pa  

Practice:  Convert  each  of  the  following  measurements  of  pressure  to  the  units  
indicated:  

a) 203  kPa  to  mm  Hg  [1520  mmHg]  

b) 40.0  kPa  to  Torr  [3.00  X  102  torr]  
c) 717  mmHg  to  Pa  [9.56  X  104  Pa]  

You  have  likely  noticed  your  ears  pop  as  you  ride  up  an  elevator,  drive  down  a  long  
hill  or  fly  on  an  airplane.  This  is  due  to  the  pressure  changes  as  your  elevation  with  
respect  to  Earth  changes.  Each  layer  of  air  in  the  atmosphere  is  pushing  down  on  all  
of  the  layers  below  it.  For  this  reason,  atmospheric  pressure  is  highest  at  the  Earth’s  
surface  and  decreases  as  your  elevation  increases.  This  decreased  pressure  also  
means  that  the  molecules  of  air  are  further  apart  at  elevation,  which  is  why  climbers  
of  Everest  require  oxygen  tanks.  The  pressure  at  the  summit  of  Everest  is  so  low  
that  the  concentration  of  oxygen  gas  is  too  low  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  body.  

 
Gas  Laws:  

1) Charles’  Law  
As  the  temperature  of  a  gas  is  increased,  the  volume  of  the  gas  increases  
proportionally.  

 
 
***When  working  with  temperatures  in  gases  you  should  get  in  the  
habit  of  always  using  Degrees  Kelvin.  This  is  often  referred  to  as  the  
absolute  temperature***  
 
oK  =  oC  +  273  

 
 
Eg.  What  is  the  absolute  temperature  of    25oC?  
 
oK  =  25  +273  

           =  298  

Practice:  Convert  the  following  temperatures  to  Kelvin:  

a) -­‐78  oC  
b) 45  oC  
Convert  to  degrees  Celsius  
a) 1337  K  
b) 210  K  

Example  Question:  

A  sample  of  gas  is  drawn  into  a  piston.  If  the  sample  occupies  0.255L  at  25  oC,  what  
with  the  volume  be  at  80  oC?  The  pressure  and  amount  of  gas  is  kept  constant.  

T1  =  273  +  25  =  298K  

T2  =  273  +  80  =  353K  

Rearrange  to  solve  for  V2  =  V1T2/T1  

                             =  .255L(353K)/298K  

                     =    .300L  
Practice:  

a. A  sample  of  methane  gas  occupies  an  initial  volume  of  5.25L  at  an  
initial  temperature  of  200  K.  The  gas  is  heated  to  300  K  while  the  
pressure  and  amount  of  gas  remain  constant.  Determine  the  new  
volume.  [7.88L]  
b. A  sample  of  carbon  dioxide  is  place  in  a  piston.  The  intitial  
temperature  of  the  gas  is  35  oC  and  it  occupies  a  volume  of  2.2L.  
Calculate  the  temperature  at  which  it  will  occupy  4.4L.  [620K]  
 
2) Boyle’s  Law  
As  the  volume  of  a  gas  is  decreased,  the  pressure  of  the  gas  increases  
proportionally.  When  dealing  with  pressure  you  will  normally  working  in  
kPa  or  atm  at  your  units  and  you  should  feel  comfortable  converting  between  
them.  
 
P1V1  =  P2V2  
Example  question:  
 
A  weather  balloon  is  filled  with  60.0  L  of  hydrogen  gas  at  sea  level  pressure  
(101.3kPa).  It  then  rises  to  900  above  Earth’s  surface.  The  atmospheric  pressure  at  
this  altitude  is  90.6  kPa.  What  is  the  volume  of  the  balloon  at  this  altitude?  
 
P1V1  =  P2  V2  
 
101.3kPa(60.0L)  =  90.6kPa(V2)  
                                       67.1  L  =  V2  
 
Practice:  
a. Helium  gas  has  a  volume  of  8.25L  at  446  kPa.  What  pressure  must  
be  applied  to  the  gas  when  it  occupies  12  L?  [307  kPa]  
 
3) Gay-­‐Lussac’s  Law  
As  the  temperature  of  a  gas  increases,  the  pressure  of  the  gas  increases  
proportionally.  

                                 
Example  question:  
 
A  sample  of  gas  is  stored  in  a  reinforced  steel  container  at  -­‐115  oC,  at  a  pressure  of  
39.9  kPa.  If  the  pressure  reaches  60.8  kPa,  what  is  the  final  temperature  in  oC?  
 
T1  =  273  +  (-­‐115)  =  158  K  
 
Isolate  for  T2  
T2    =  P2T1/P1  
       =  60.8  kPa  (158K)  /  39.9  kPa  
   =    241  K  
Convert  to  oC  =243  K  –  273  
                                                     =  -­‐32  oC  
 
 
The  Combined  Gas  Law:  
The  Combined  Gas  Law,  as  the  name  would  suggest,  combines  Charles’,  Boyle’s  and  
Gay-­‐Lussac’s  Laws  to  deal  with  systems  that  may  be  experiencing  changes  in  
Temperature,  Pressure  or  Volume.  
 

 
 
You  will  use  the  same  process  as  the  other  laws  to  solve.  Make  sure  that  you  convert  
your  temperatures  to  Kelvin,  that  your  volumes  are  in  Litres  and  that  you  have  your  
pressure  in  kPa  or  atm.  
 
Practice:  
 
a. A  balloon  at  the  top  of  Mount  Logan  occupies  a  volume  of  775mL  
at  a  temperature  of  -­‐28oC  and  a  pressure  of  92.5  kPa.  What  is  the  
pressure  of  the  balloon  at  the  bottom  of  the  mountain  if  the  same  
balloon  has  a  volume  of  825  mL  at  a  temperature  of  15  oC?  [102  
kPa]  
b. A  researcher  heated  a  2.75  L  sample  of  helium  gas  at  99.0  kPa  
from  21.0oC  to  71.0oC  and  recorded  that  the  pressure  changed  to  
105  kPa.  Calculate  the  final  volume  of  the  gas.  [3.03  L]  
c. A  450  mL  sample  of  propane  gas  at  253  kPa  and  15  oC  was  
compressed  to  310  mL  at  a  pressure  of  405  kPa.  Calculate  the  final  
temperature  in  Celsius.  [45oC]  
 
Avogadro’s  Law  and  Molar  Volume:  
You  may  have  come  across  the  acronyms  STP  and  SATP  when  dealing  with  gases.  It  
is  important  that  you  understand  what  these  mean  as  they  give  you  information  that  
can  help  you  solve  gas  problems.  
 
STP  (Standard  Temperature  and  Pressure):  conditions  of  0oC  and  101.325  kPa.  
 
SATP  (Standard  Ambient  Temperature  and  Pressure):  conditions  of  25oC  and  100  
kPa.  
  
In  stoichiometry  we  learned  that  molar  mass,  the  mass  of  exactly  6.02  x  1023  
particles  of  a  substance,  is  equal  to  the  mass  on  the  periodic  table.  When  dealing  
with  gases  we  find  that  the  volume  of  a  gas  is  directly  related  to  the  number  of  
moles  of  gas  that  we  have.  At  STP  1  mole  of  any  gas  occupies  22.4L.  If  we  don’t  have  
exactly  one  mole  of  gas,  or  if  we  know  information  about  the  volume  of  the  gas  not  
at  STP,  we  can  use  the  following  equation:  
 

Example question:
A party balloon has 2.5 mol of helium gas at STP. What is the volume of the balloon.

V2 = V1(n2)/n1
= 22.4L(2.5 mol) /1 mol
= 56 L

Practice:
a. A container of oxygen gas has a volume of 145.6L. If the pressure of the gas is 101.3 kPa and the
temperature is 0 oC, determine the amount of oxygen gas in the container. [6.5 mol]
b. Determine the mass of hydrogen gas collected in a container if the gas occupies 44.8 L at STP.
[4.04 g.]

Ideal Gas Law:

In the Ideal Gas Law, the products of the pressure and volume of the gas is equal to the product of the
amount, the universal gas constant and the absolute temperature.

The Universal Gas Constant (R) has two main values that you will need to work with depending on the
units of pressure that you are dealing with. The key is to ensure that the pressure units in your gas constant
is the same as the pressure units in the question.

R = 8.134 kPa•L/mol•K
Or
R = = 0.08206 atm•L/mol•K

Once again, when dealing with the ideal gas law, make sure that your temperatures are in K, your volume
in L and that the units of your pressure and R match.
Example Questions:

The air in a person’s lungs has 0.177 mol of gas particles at 310 K
with a pressure of 101.3 kPa. What is the volume of air?

Solution

Therefore, the volume of air in the lungs is 4.5 L.

2) Ammonium sulphate, an important fertilizer, can be prepared by the reaction of ammonia with sulphuric
acid according to:

Calculate the volume of NH3 needed at 42°C and 15.6 atm to react with 870 g of H2SO4.

Solution
First, the temperature must be changed to K.
T(K) = T(° C) + 273.15
= 42°C + 273.15
= 315.15 K

Now, you must convert the given mass into moles.

mol (H2SO4) = mass x MM[H2SO4]
= 870 g / 98.0784 g/mol
= 8.87 mol

Find the number of moles of NH3 that will reaction with the H2SO4.
From the balanced equation, each mole of H2SO4 requires 2 mol of NH3.
So, 8.87 mol x 2 = 17.74 mol of NH3 is needed.

Finally, use the ideal gas law to calculate the volume of ammonia that will react.

Therefore, 29.41 L of are needed.

Happy Practicing!!!
 Gas  Practice  Problems  
Boyle’s  Law  

1. If a gas at 25.0°C occupies 3.60 L at a pressure of 1.00 atm, what will be its volume at a pressure
of 2.50 atm?
2. 500.0 mL of a gas is collected at 745.0 mm Hg. What will the volume be at standard pressure?
3. Convert 350.0 mL at 740.0 mm of Hg to its new volume at standard pressure.
4. Convert 77.0 L at 18.0 mm of Hg to its new volume at standard pressure.
5. A gas occupies 4.31 L at a pressure of 0.755 atm. Determine the volume if the pressure is
increased to 1.25 atm.
6. 600.0 mL of a gas is at a pressure of 8.00 atm. What is the volume of the gas at 2.00 atm?
7. 400.0 mL of a gas are under a pressure of 800.0 torr. What would the volume of the gas be at a
pressure of 1000.0 torr?
8. 4.00 L of a gas are under a pressure of 6.00 atm. What is the volume of the gas at 2.00 atm?
9. A gas occupies 25.3 mL at a pressure of 790.5 mm Hg. Determine the volume if the pressure is
reduced to 0.804 atm.
10. A sample of gas has a volume of 12.0 L and a pressure of 1.00 atm. If the pressure of gas is
increased to 2.00 atm, what is the new volume of the gas?
11. You are now wearing scuba gear and swimming under water at a depth of 30.0 m. You are
breathing air at 3.00 atm and your lung volume is 10.0 L. Your scuba gauge indicates that your air
supply is low so, to conserve air, you make a terrible and fatal mistake: you hold your breath while
you surface. What happens to your lungs? Why?
12. A 1.5 L flask is filled with nitrogen at a pressure of 12 atmospheres. What size flask would be
required to hold this gas at a pressure of 2.0 atm?

Charle’s Law:

1. 568 cm3 of chlorine at 25°C will occupy what volume at -25°C while the pressure remains
constant?
2. A sample of nitrogen now occupies a volume of 250 mL at 25°C. What volume did it occupy at
95°C?
3. Oxygen gas is at a temperature of 40°C when it occupies a volume of 2.30 L. To what temperature
should it be raised to occupy a volume of 6.50 L?
4. Hydrogen gas was cooled from 150°C to 50°C. Its new volume is 75.0 mL. What was its original
volume?
5. A sample of neon gas at 50°C and with a volume of 2.50 L is cooled from 25°C. What was its
original volume?
6. Fluorine gas at 300 K occupies a volume of 500 mL. To what temperature should it be lowered to
bring the volume to 300 mL?
7. Helium occupies a volume of 3.8 L at –45°C. What was its initial temperature when it occupied
8.3 L?
8. A sample of argon gas is cooled and its volume went from 380 mL to 250 mL. If its final
temperature was –55°C, what was its original temperature?
9. A container holds 50.0 mL of nitrogen at 25°C and at a constant pressure of 736 mm Hg. What
will be its volume if the temperature increases by 35°C?
10. On hot days, you may have noticed that potato chip bags seem to expand. If a 250 mL bag at a
temperature of 19°C is left inside a car (with windows sealed on a hot summer day) when the
temperature rises to 60°C, what will be new volume of the bag?
11. A plastic pop bottle is flexible enough that the volume of the bottle can change even without
opening it. If you have an empty 2 L pop bottle at a room temperature of 25°C, what will the new
volume be if you put it in the freezer at -4°C?
 12. A homemade thermometer is produced so that a piston goes up and down as the temperature
changes. It is calibrated so that at 100°C, the piston is at the 30 L position. If the piston indicates
20 L, should you wear a jacket or a bathing suit before going out? Explain your answer using your
calculations.

Gay-Lussac’s Law:

1. Explain the relationship between the temperature and pressure of a gas.

2. A gas container is initially at 47 mm Hg and 77 K. What will the pressure be when the container
warms up to room temperature of 25°C?
3. A gas thermometer measures temperature by measuring the pressure of a gas inside the fixed
volume container. A thermometer reads a pressure of 248 torr at 0.0°C. What is the temperature
when the thermometer reads a pressure of 345 torr?
4. Calculate the final pressure inside a scuba tank after it cools from 1000°C to 25°C. The initial
pressure in the tank is 130.0 atm.
5. A gas is collected at 22°C and 745 mm Hg. When the temperature is changed to 0.0°C, what is the
resulting pressure?
6. Use Gay-Lussac's law to explain what is wrong with the following statement: "I brought a fully
inflated beach ball outside to play volleyball in the snow with my friends, but it exploded before
we could start."
7. The gas pressure in an aerosol can is 151.6 kPa at 25.0°C, what would the pressure be inside the
can at 300.0°C?
8. The temperature of a gas is 6.0°C and 65.3 mbar, what is the pressure at 4.0°C?
9. A tank for compressed gas has a maximum safe pressure limit of 825 kPa. The pressure gauge
reads 388 kPa when the temperature is 24.0°C. What is the highest temperature the tank can
withstand safely?
10. If a helium-filled balloon is at STP. What was its initial temperature if its pressure was 1.62 atm?
11. What information is missing from the following question? "A small ball is inflated to 100 kPa of
pressure. What is the final pressure if the temperature increases by 20°C? "
12. You notice that a sealed bag of potato chips bulges when placed near a sunny window. What can
you hypothesize about the relationship between the temperature and pressure of an enclosed gas?

Combined Gas Law:

1. A gas is at 135°C and 455 mm Hg in a 2.00 L container. It is cooled down to a temperature of

25°C. If it is kept in the same container, what is its new pressure?
2. A gas has a volume of 39 L at STP. What will its volume be at 4 atm and 25°C?
3. A gas, now contained at STP, has a volume of 500 mL. The initial pressure was 0.96 atm at 20°C.
What was the initial volume?
4. A balloon is filled up with air to a volume of 1.15 L at 296.5 K. What does the volume change to
if the balloon is taken outdoors where the temperature is 278.4 K and the pressure is half of what it
was indoors?
5. Calculate the pressure in a tire if it starts out filled with 7.54 L of air at 219 kPa and 21.6°C and
gets heated to 65.2°C as the volume increases to 7890 mL.
6. A 700.0 mL gas sample gas sample at STP is compressed to a volume of 200.0 mL, and the
temperature is increased to 30.00°C. What is the new pressure of the gas in kPa?
7. A balloon of air now occupies 10.0 L at 25.0°C and 1.00 atm. What temperature was it initially, if
it occupied 9.4 L and was in a freezer with a pressure of 0.939 atm?
8. 6.8 L of a gas is found to exert 97.3 kPa at 25.2°C. If the volume is changed to 12.5 L, what would
be the required temperature to change the pressure to standard pressure?
9. A cylinder is fitted with a moveable piston. A gas in the cylinder is heated up. If the pressure only
increases slightly, what will happen to the volume of the cylinder? Why?
Ideal Gas Law:

1. At what temperature will 0.654 moles of neon gas occupy 12.30 L at 1.95 atm?
2. A sample of argon gas at STP occupies 56.2 L. Determine the number of moles of argon.
3. A gas is compressed in a 25 L storage tank under a pressure of 150 kPa and a temp of
21°C. How many moles of gas are contained in the tank?
4. What volume will 45 grams of hydrogen gas occupy at 1.05 atm and 25°C?
5. At what temperature will 5.00 g of Cl2 exert a pressure of 900 mm Hg at a volume of 750.0 mL?
6. A 143.03 g sample of a gas is at 1789.7 torr, 256.8 K and occupies 29.1 L. What is the chemical
formula for this gas? (hint: find the molar mass first)
7. A 28.8 g piece of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is allowed to sublime (convert directly from a
solid to a gas) into a large balloon. Assuming that all of the carbon dioxide ends up in the balloon,
what will the volume of the balloon be at a temperature of 22°C and a pressure of 742 mm Hg?
8. Calculate the density of NO2 gas at 0.97 atm and 35°C.
9. Ammonium nitrate decomposes explosively upon heating according to the following equation:

2NH4NO3(s) 2N2 (g) + O2 (g) + 4H2O (g)

Calculate the total volume of gas produced at 125°C and 748 mm Hg when 1.55 kg of ammonium
nitrate completely decomposes.

10. Aerosol cans carry clear warnings against incineration because high pressures can develop at high
temperature. Using the ideal gas law, explain the basis for this warning.
11. A yet unknown chemist presents his findings at a news conference on the treatment of a major
disease, stating that: "This process will radically improve the way patients are treated. A small 1
mol dose of the drug is vaporized in a 20 L chamber at a temperature of 300K and pressure of 10
atm. Please invest generously in our company." Should you believe him and invest in his
company? Explain.
12. You are given a sample of an unknown gas. Describe how you can identify the gas in the
laboratory. What measurements will you make? What apparatus might you need?