INTRODUCTION TO GASES

Characteristics of Gases
Gases expand to fill any container.
random motion, no attraction
Gases are fluids (like liquids).
no attraction
Gases have very low densities.
no volume = lots of empty space
Characteristics of Gases
 Gases can be compressed.
 no volume = lots of empty space
 Gases undergo diffusion & effusion
Commonly Used Units:
 Volume units and their equivalents:
1 mL = 1 cm3 1 L = 1 dm3 1 m3 = 1000 L
 Pressure units and their equivalents:
1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 76 cm Hg = 760 torr = 101325 Pa = 14.6956
psi
 Temperature units and their equivalents:
0˚C = 273.15 K 0˚C = 32˚F
 Units of Pressure
At Standard Atmospheric Pressure (SAP)
101.325 kPa (kilopascal)
1 atm (atmosphere)
N
760 mm Hg (millimeter Hg) kPa  2
m
760 torr
14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Standard Temperature & Pressure

STP
Standard Temperature & Pressure

0°C 273 K
-OR-
1 atm 101.325 kPa
Temperature: The Kelvin Scale
 Always use absolute temperature (Kelvin) when
working with gases.

ºC
-273 0 100
K
0 273 373

C  K  273 K = ºC + 273
 Why Use the Kelvin Scale?
Not everything freezes at 0oC, but for ALL substances, motion stops at 0K.

Iteliminates the use of negative values for temperature! Makes mathematic calculations
possible (to calculate the temp. twice warmer than -5oC we can’t use 2x(-5oC) because we
would get -10oC!)
Kelvin Scale vs Celsius Scale
 Converting between Kelvin and Celsius

C  K  273 K = ºC + 273
a) 0oC =_____K
b) 100oC= _____K
c) 25oC =______K
d) -12oC = ______K
e) -273K = ______oC
f) 23.5K = ______oC
g) 373.2K= ______oC
Short Quiz:
Recall the symbol and common units of the
following properties by completing the table.
Property Symbol Three Common Units
Pressure * *
Temperature * *
Volume * *
Identify the word being described below by
providing the missing letters in the box.
Mark “√” if the sentence describes gases and “X” if it does not portray
gases.
1. Gases are hard to compress.
2. Gases expand to fully fill their containers.
3. Gases take the shape of the container wherein particles can move
naturally to all parts of the container.
4. Particles of gases move at random directions very fast travelling in
straight-line paths
5. The molecules of the gas are very large compared to the very short
distances between them.
1. Boyle’s Law
 1. Boyle’s Law
 The pressure and volume of a gas are inversely
proportional (as one increases, the other
decreases, and vice versa
 at constant mass & temp

V
Standard Temperature
= 0 ⁰C or 273.15 K
Standard Pressure is
= 1atm
At STP, one mole of gas occupies 22.4 L of
volume.
 1. Boyle’s Law
Boyle’s Law leads to the mathematical expression:
P1V1=P2V2
Where:
P1 represents the initial pressure
V1 represents the initial volume,
P2 represents the final pressure
V2 represents the final volume
Sample Problem
A sample of CO2 was confined to a container at
constant temperature. When the pressure applied to
the gas was 2.50 atm, the volume it occupied became
4.50 L.
1.How much pressure must be exerted to decrease
the volume of the gas to 3.00 L?
2.How much pressure must be exerted to decrease
the volume of the gas to 4.00 L?
Exercises
1. Atmospheric pressure on the peak of Kilimanjaro
can be as low as 0.20 atm. If the volume of an
oxygen tank is 10.0L, at what pressure must the tank
be filled so the gas inside would occupy a volume of
1200 L at this pressure?
2. A weather balloon with a volume of 2000L at a
pressure of 96.3 kPa rises to an altitude of 1000m,
where the atmospheric pressure is measured to be
60.8kPa. Assuming there is no change in the
temperature or the amount of gas, calculate the
weather balloon’s final volume.
3. A sample of He gas was confined to a
container at constant temperature. The volume
of the gas is measured at 5.00 mL when the
pressure applied is 6.50 atm. Determine the
volume of the He gas if the pressure is reduced
to 2.00 atm.
Additional Problems:
1. 500.0 mL of a gas is collected at 745.0 mmHg. What will
the volume be at standard pressure?
2. A gas exerts a pressure of 3 kPa on the walls of container 1.
When container 1 is emptied into a 10-liter container, the
pressure exerted by the gas increases to 6 kPa. Find the
volume of container 1. Assume that the temperature and
quantity of the gas remain constant.
3. An ideal gas occupying a 2.0 L flask at 760 torr is allowed
to expand to a volume of 6,000 mL. Calculate the final
pressure in atm.
Additional Problems:
4. A sample of gas has an initial pressure of 722 torr and an
initial volume of 88.8 mL. Its volume changes to 0.663 L.
What is the new pressure?
5. Air fills a room with a volume of 5600 L. Atmospheric
pressure is 740 torr. What will be the pressure if all of the
gas is pumped into an 80 L tank? Convert this pressure to
kPa.
6. An air compressor has a volume of 110 L. What volume of
gas is pumped into the tank if the pressure goes from 750
torr to a pressure of 145 psi?
BOYLE’S LAW The relationship between
pressure and volume
If the temperature of a gas is constant, when the
pressure is increased, the volume decreases

T= C P= V=

When the pressure of a gas at a constant temperature

is increased, the volume of the gas decreases
If the temperature of a gas is constant, when the
pressure is decreased, the volume increases

T= C P= V=

When the pressure of a gas at a constant temperature

is decreased, the volume of the gas increases
CHARLES
LAW
states that volume and temperature,
described in kelvin, are directly
proportional if the number of gas particles
and pressure are constant.

Jacques A.C. Charles

Source: Britannica.com
How Volume Varies With Temperature
If we
heat a gas it expands
(as in a hot air balloon).
Check Your Understanding:
At constant pressure, how are the
temperature and volume of a gas related?
A They are inversely proportional.
B They are directly proportional.
C They are constant.
D They are indirectly proportional.
  Atconstant pressure, when the
temperature of a gas is increased, what
happens to its volume
T =
P =C
V =

When the temperature of a gas at a constant

pressure is increased, its volume increases
 At constant pressure, when the
temperature of a gas is decreased, what happens
to its volume
T =
P = C
V =

When the temperature of a gas at a constant pressure is

decreased, its volume decreases
Charles’ Law Equation
Use the formula of Charles’ Law to solve the puzzle.

T1 V1 T2 V2
1 2L 2°C 1L
1°C 2 2°C 2L
1.5°C 4L 3 6L
4°C 1L 1°C 4
2°C 3L 3°C 5
Practice Problems
A balloon is filled to a volume of 2 L at a
temperature of 25.0 °C. The balloon is then heated
to a temperature of 51.0 °C. Find the new volume
of the balloon.
A gas has an initial volume of 3,480 mL and an
initial temperature of −70.0°C. What must be the
temperature of the gas in Kelvin if its volume is
reduced to 2,450 mL?
 You Try:
1. The volume of a gas decreased from 1.4 L to 1.2 L
when the temperature was lowered. If the initial
temperature was 6.0 ⁰C, what would be the final
temperature in ⁰C, assuming that the pressure did not
change?

2. A beach ball is inflated to a volume of 25L of air at

15oC. During the afternoon, the volume increases by 1L.
What is the new temperature outside?
 You Try :
A birthday balloon is filled to a volume of 1.5L
of helium gas in an air-conditioned room at
293K. The balloon is taken outdoors on a warm
day where the volume expands to 1.55L.
Assuming the pressure and the amount of gas
remain constant, what is the air temperature
outside in Celsius?
3. Intro to Gay-Lussac’s Law
 Imagine you have a balloon inside a container that ensures
it has a fixed volume. You heat the balloon.

What is happening to the temp of the gas inside the balloon?

What will happen to the pressure the gas is exerting on the

balloon?
3. Gay-Lussac’s Law
The pressure and absolute
temperature (K) of a gas are directly
proportional (as temperature rises, so
does pressure)
at constant mass & volume
P

T
3. Gay-Lussac’s Law
Gay-Lussac’s Law leads to the
mathematical expression:

*Assuming volume remains constant

Egg in a bottle to show Gay-Lussac's Law:

T & P relationship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_JnUBk1JPQ
 Example Problem:
The pressure of the oxygen gas inside a canister with a fixed
volume is 5.0atm at 15oC. What is the pressure of the oxygen
gas inside the canister if the temperature changes to 263K?
Assume the amount of gas remains constant.
 You Try:
The pressure of a gas in a sealed canister is 350.0kPa
at a room temperature of 15oC. The canister is
placed in a refrigerator that drops the temperature of
the gas by 20K. What is the new pressure in the
canister?
4. Combined Gas Law
By combining Boyle’s, Charles’ and Gay Lussac’s
Laws, the following equation is derived:

P1V1 P2V2
=
T1 T2
 Example Problem:

A gas occupies 7.84 cm3 at 71.8 kPa & 25°C. Find

its volume at STP.
 Any Combination Questions 

a) A gas occupies 473 cm3 at 36°C. Find its

volume at 94°C

b) A gas’ pressure is 765 torr at 23°C. At what

temperature will the pressure be 560. torr
HOW DID YOU DO?

Part B:
Learning Goals
I will be able to describe Boyle’s,
Charles’ and Gay-Lussac’s Laws
relating T, P and/or V and be able to
calculate unknown values using the
equations derived from these laws,
as well as the combined gas law.