Unit 9 Notes – Gas Laws

Background – Science Laws, Theories and Hypotheses

Laws are generalizations or universal relationships related to the way that some aspect of the
natural world behaves under certain conditions. Therefore, laws are different from hypotheses
and theories in science.

An initial investigation provides some evidence (data) that must be explained and tested further.
This tentative explanation, or hypothesis, forms the foundation for further investigations. If the
hypothesis is supported, more investigations are done. As it becomes stronger, it becomes more
predictive and explanatory. At this point, the hypothesis becomes a theory: a broad explanation
that has been supported with data and is a well substantiated, consistent explanation for a natural
occurrence.

Theories evolve as a result of continued testing. When evidences is found that is inconsistent
with or not predicted by the theory, it must be changed. In some cases, a new theory must be
proposed and tested further.

I. Kinetic Theory of Gases

This theory helps us understand why gases behave the way they do and give us insight
into the behavior of solids and liquids. There are five basic postulates of this theory.

1.Particles in a gas have no volume and are very far apart.

2.Particles in a gas move in straight line paths and random
directions.
3.Particles in a gas collide frequently with the sides of the
container and less frequently with each other. All
collisions are elastic (no energy is gained or lost as a
result of the collisions).
4.Particles in a gas do not attract or repel one another. There
is no intermolecular attractions.
5.The average kinetic energy of all of the gas particles in a
sample is proportional to the temperature of that gas
sample.

II. Temperature
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance. Many problems we will
be working use equations which include temperature, it is important to be able to convert
between Celsius and Kelvin. 0 Kelvin is absolute zero; there are not negative numbers on the
Kelvin scale.

A. Converting between Celsius and Kelvin.

Celsius to Kelvin K = oC + 273
Kelvin to Celsius oC = K – 273

B. Example: Convert: –167oC to Kelvin

1100oC to Kelvin
321 Kelvin to Celsius
 Unit 9 Notes: Gas Laws

III. Pressure: defined as Force/Area. We will not be concerned with the mathematical aspect
of finding pressure, but only using pressures and converting them to various other units.

A. There are different UNITS of pressure used in chemistry and you must be able to
convert between all of them.

1 atmosphere (atm)  You must be able to

= 760 mm Hg convert pressure units!
= 14.7 psi
= 101.3 kPa

Example: Convert a pressure of 1.55 atm to kPa.

Example: Which is higher pressure 1.45 atm or 1000 mm Hg?

Example: Convert 753 psi to atmospheres.

B. Pressure Measurement
1. Standard Temperature & Pressure (STP) is equal to 1 atm at 0°C

III. Introduction to Gas Laws

Based on the kinetic theory of gases, scientists were able to describe how gases behave and
change using mathematical equations. There are 4 variables that work together to
determine the behavior of gases – temperature, pressure, volume, and the number of
particles.

A. When you blow up a balloon, you are adding gas molecules

& the pressure increases. This is because more molecules
are colliding within a given space.
 Pressure and the number of gas molecules are directly
related. Doubling the number of molecules of a gas,
doubles the pressure.
 Gases naturally flow from areas of high pressure to low
pressure until the pressure becomes equal.

B. When you push on a bicycle pump or the end of a syringe,

you change the size of the container creating a pressure that
can be felt. In a smaller container, molecules have less room to move & hit the sides of
the container more often. This creates pressure.

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 Unit 9 Notes: Gas Laws

C. When you heat a gas, the temperature of a gas increases as a result of increased kinetic
energy. This increase in energy causes the gas molecules to hit the walls of its container
even harder – resulting in either increased pressure or increased volume.

IV. Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressure – Equal amounts of gas at the same temperature and
volume have equal pressure. The total pressure inside a container is equal to the partial
pressure due to each gas.
P total = P1 + P2 + P3

A. For instance, we can find the pressure in the fourth container by adding up the pressure
in the first three containers.

2 atm 1atm 3atm ? atm

B. Example: What is the total pressure in a balloon filled with air if the pressure of the
oxygen is 170mmHg and the pressure of nitrogen is 620 mmHg?

Example: In a second balloon the total pressure is 1.3 atm. What is the pressure of
oxygen if the pressure of nitrogen is 720 mmHg?

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 Unit 9 Notes: Gas Laws

V. Boyle’s Law – At constant temperature, pressure and volume are

inversely related. In other words, as volume decreases, the pressure
increases and vice versa.
P1 x V1 = P2 x V2

Example: A balloon is filled with 25 L of

air at 1.0 atm pressure. If the pressure
changes to 1.5 atm, what is the new volume?

Example: A balloon is filled with 73 L of

air at 1.3 atm of pressure. What pressure is
needed to change the volume to 43 L ?

VI. Charles’ Law – The volume of a gas is

directly proportional to the Kelvin temperature if the pressure is held constant. As
temperature increases, volume also increases in a linear relationship.
V1 / T1 = V2 / T2

Example: What is the temperature of a gas that is expanded from 2.5L at 25°C to 4.1 L at
constant pressure?

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 Unit 9 Notes: Gas Laws

Example: What is the final volume of a gas that starts at 8.3L and 290K and is heated to
369K?

VII. Gay Lussac’s Law – If volume doesn’t change, then as temperature increases, pressure
also increases. They are directly related. If a gas is in a fixed container, as the
temperature increases the molecules collide more frequently with the
walls of the container causing increased pressure.
P1 / T1 = P2 / T2

Example: What is the pressure inside a 0.250L can of deodorant that starts at 0.250L
and 1.2 atm if the temperature is raised to 100°C?

Example: At what temperature will the can above have a pressure of 2.2 atm?

VIII. Combined Gas Law – this law is a combination of the previous STUDY TIP
gas laws. This law applies only when the number of molecules
stays constant & everything else changes. All other gas laws
can be derived from
P1 x V1 = P2 x V2 this one equation
T1 T2

Example: A 15L cylinder at 4.8 atm pressure at 25°C is heated to 75°C and compressed
to 17 atm. What is the new volume?

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 Unit 9 Notes: Gas Laws

Example: IF 6.2 L of gas at 723 mm Hg at 294K is compressed to 2.2 L at 4117 mm Hg,

what is the temperature of the gas?

IX. Ideal Gas Law

A. In reality, an ideal gas does not exist. In this unit however, we are going to assume
that gases behave ideally. This will make our math easier & is a close approximation.
Real gases behave like an ideal gas at high temperature & at low pressure.

B. Pressure (P) times volume (V) equals the number of moles (n) times the ideal gas
constant (R) times the temperature in Kelvin (T)

P x V=n xR xT where R = 0.0821 (Latm)/ (molK)

or R = 62.4 (Lmm Hg) / (Kmol)

Example: How many moles of air are there in a 2.0L bottle at 19°C and 747 mmHg?