Gas Laws

Gases are subject to changes in:

Pressure (absolute),

Volume (m3),

Temperature (absolute) i.e. 10° Celsius = 10 + 273 = 283K

Pressure (P) can be defined as Force per unit area and is measured in N/m2 (Newtons /
squire metres) or Pa (Pascal).
P Absolute = P Gauge + P Atmospheric

Figure 1: Atmospheric
Pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the
force per unit area exerted
against a surface by the weight
of the air above that surface.

Figure 2: Bourdon Gauge

The pressure a gauge such as the bourdon gauge reads above the
pressure of its surroundings.

An ideal gas has the following properties:

A gas will spread or expand to fill any space available to it.

The volume of gas molecules is neglected compared to the volume of a container.

The molecules of gas are in rapid, random motion.
Figure 3: Units for pressure

Boyle's Law

Boyles Law: At constant temperature, the gas pressure is inversely proportional to the gas
volume.
PV = Constant

P1V1 = P2 V2

Charles' law

Charles' law: At constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its
absolute temperature:

V/T = constant

V1/T1 = V2/T2
Combining Ideal Gas Laws

Consider at constant mass, an ideal gas is changed from initial properties T1,V1,P1 to a
final T2,V2,P2. Combining Ideal Gas Laws:
PV = Constant.
T
P1 V1 = P2 V2
T1 T2

Equation of State of an ideal gas

These laws can be developed incorporate mass (m) variation by using the gas constant for
the specific gas (R)
P/T * V/m = R constant.
This is normally written as:
PV= mRT

This is known as the ideal gas rule or the characteristic equation of an ideal gas. This rule
is not obeyed exactly by any real gas but describes the behaviour of gases well enough
for practical purposes. A gas that is assumed to obey the ideal gas rule and also has a
constant specific heat is called a perfect gas.
In applying the gas rule absolute pressures and absolute temperatures must be used.
The value of the gas constant R depends on the nature of the gas. Its numerical value
depends on the units in which P, V, m and T are measured.

Figure 4 Values of the gas constant for important gases

Problems

Note: When Using the Gas Laws all the values must be converted to the SI units:

Temperature (Kelvin)

Pressure (Pa)

Volume (m3)

Gas Constant (J/kg K)

Mass (kg)

1. Express the following in their SI units:

a. 10 ° C in K

b. 0.120 kJ/kg K in J/kg K

c. 45 dm3 in m3

d. 12 mmHg in Pa

e. 0.329 MPa in Pa

f. 0.769 bar in Pa

g. 120 litres in m3

2. A gas under constant Pressure has a temperature of 9 ° C and volume of 1.9 m3 at

state 1. What is the temperature in SI units at state 2 if the volume increases to
3200 litres?

3. A gas is under a Pressure of 1200mmHg and volume of 2.1 m3 and a temperature

10 ° C at state 1. If the temperature and pressure 370K and 6atm at state 2 what is
volume at state 2?

4. If the gas in question 3 cools down to 79 ° C and the volume 0.39 m2, what is the
Pressure?

5. A balloon is filled nitrogen at a pressure of 1.6 bar at 9 °C and has a volume of

2.1 m3.
a. What is the mass of the nitrogen?
(R for nitrogen = 297 J/kg K)
b. More nitrogen is added and the mass increases to 6 kg. Temp & P are
constant, what is the new volume?