Gas Laws Kinetic Theory SSZakariyah 2013

WORKED EXAMPLES
ON
GAS LAWS & KINETIC
THEORY
by
Shefiu S. Zakariyah, PhD
PREFACE
In an effort to facilitate learning and teaching of engineering and physical sciences to
potential engineers and scientists amongst others, what follows is a series of solutions to
questions (original and modified) found in standard textbooks in the aforementioned
fields of study.
This booklet presents 45 worked examples on gas laws and kinetic theory, which is
preceded by an introduction to the theory, laws and formulae associated with the topic.
Questions used in this work are drawn from physics and chemistry textbooks designed
for A-level, foundation year and college students or what can be considered as
equivalent. It is however anticipated that students in the early years of degrees in
engineering and related fields will also find this helpful especially if kinetic theory
forms part of an elective module. Additionally, it could be adopted by teaching staff as
a reference guide during classes.
Since this work is part of a series of learn by examples undertaken by the author,
pertinent suggestions, feedbacks and queries are highly welcome. This can be directed
to the author at the address below. Coming soon in this series are:
Worked Examples on Mechanics
Worked Example on Complex Number
Worked Examples on Calculus
Worked Examples on Circuit Theorems
And, of course, many more.

Finally, many thanks to my colleagues who have offered help and/or suggestions,
especially Ismail K. Adeboye (Advanced Technovation Ltd), Khadijah O. Olaniyan
(Loughborough University), Abdul Lateef Balogun (Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS &
Advanced Technovation Ltd), Misbahu Ladan Mohammed (London South Bank
University), K. F. Tamrin (University of Malaya & Advanced Technovation Ltd),

Luqman O. Onadiran (Federal University of Technology Akure), G. A. Ibraheem, Juan
Pablo Casadiego Gonzalez and Nsajigwa Emmanuel Mwangosi.
Shefiu S. Zakariyah 2013
Email: shefiuz@theiet.org
ii.
i
i
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made by the author in ensuring the accuracy of the information,
including questions and associated solutions, presented in this booklet. The author does
not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or
disruption caused by errors or omissions, either accidently or otherwise.
iii
CONTENTS
PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................. I
DISCLAIMER ...................................................................................................................................................... III
CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ IV
INTRODUCTION TO GAS LAWS ........................................................................................................................... 1
WORKED EXAMPLES .......................................................................................................................................... 9
SECTION 1: BOYLES LAW .........................................................................................................................................9
SECTION 2: CHARLES LAW ....................................................................................................................................12
SECTION 3: GAY-LUSSACS LAW ............................................................................................................................15
SECTION 4: COMBINED GAS LAW ...........................................................................................................................17
SECTION 5: IDEAL GAS EQUATION ..........................................................................................................................26
SECTION 6: ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES ......................................................................................................................32
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING ............................................................................................................37
iv
INTRODUCTION TO GAS LAWS

1. Gas Laws
1.1. Boyles law
This law states that the volume ( ) occupied by a fixed mass of gas is inversely
proportional to the pressure ( ) provided that the temperature remains constant. Since
the temperature is constant (or no heat flow) in this process (Boyles law), it is referred
to as isothermal condition. Mathematically, Boyles law can be written as:
Or
From Boyles law above and for the purpose of calculation it can be stated that if and
are the initial pressure and volume respectively and and are the final pressure
and volume respectively then we can write the law as:
Note: Boyles law is not always true for real gases since at high pressures, a real gas can
condense into liquid due to the inter-molecular force of attraction in the gas molecules.
1.2. Charles law
This law states that the volume of a given mass of gas at constant pressure is directly
proportional to its temperature ( ) in Kelvin. If the volume is fixed, i.e. the gas is not
allowed to expand, then Charles law can no longer hold or be used. This can be written
mathematically as:
Or
As with Boyles law, Charles law can also be expressed as:
1.3. Gay-Lussacs law

This law states that the pressure of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume is directly
proportional to its absolute temperature. In other words,
Or
Also,
1.4. Avogadros law

This law states that at a fixed temperature and pressure, the volume of gas is directly
proportional to the number of moles (or molecules), . This can be expressed as
Or
As with others, we can have
Avogadros law implies that at the same conditions of temperature and pressure, equal
volumes of all gasses contain equal numbers of molecules.
1.5. Combined gas law
As the name suggests, it combines two or more laws. Generally, it is considered as a
combination of Boyles and Charles laws (so it is Boyles-Charles gas law) or Boyles,
Charles and Gay-Lussacs laws (so it is Boyles - Charles - Gay-Lussacs gas law).
Mathematically, the combined gas law can be expressed as:
And then
The above expression of the combined gas law is because the quantity of the gas (moles
or mass) involved remains constant from initiation to its final state. However, it is
possible that the amount of the sample changes, hence the number of mole (n) is
included. We can therefore write a more encompassing expression of combined gas law
as:
The last expression can be regarded as Boyles - Charles - Gay-Lussacs Avogadros

gas law since it is a combination of the four laws. It is important to point out here that it
is possible to obtain all the previous four laws from the last formula. For example,
Boyles law can be obtained if the temperature and mass are both constant. In other
words, if
and
in the above formula, the resulting expression will be
Substitute for T2 and n2
Multiply both sides by T1n1
This cancels out as
We then have
1.6. Daltons law

This law states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases occupying a given volume is
equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases in the mixture. The
partial pressure of gas in a mixture is the pressure the gas would exert if it occupied the
container alone. It is important to mention that Daltons law of partial pressures applies
to gases which do not react chemically, i.e. a mixture of gases. For example, a mixture of
hydrogen and oxygen gases obeys this law if they have not reacted to form a
compound, e.g. water or water vapour.
Mathematically, Daltons law can be written as:
where PT is the total pressure of the mixture and

gases , , , in the mixture.
, are the pressures of the
2. The Ideal Gas Equation

This equation is a combination of the above laws (excluding Daltons law) which
establishes relationship between temperature, pressure, volume and number of
molecules in a given sample of gas. Combining Boyles, Charles and Avogadros laws
will produce the ideal gas equation as follows
By multiplying the right-hand sides of the above expressions, we have

( ) ( )( )
Based on the above expression, ideal gas equation can be stated as:
The volume of a given mass of an ideal gas is directly proportional to the
temperature in kelvin and number of moles (or molecules) and inversely
proportional to the pressure.
Removing the (sign of) proportionality, we have
k is the constant of proportionality which, for this case, is denoted by letter and is
referred to as the universal gas constant. The value of R is 8.31 J mol-1K-1 for ideal
gases, but it is different and varies for real gases. Hence, the ideal gas equation is
More commonly represented as:
General Note
The behaviour of gases is approximately equal to the above laws at room

temperature and atmospheric pressure, but they deviate from the laws at high
pressures and/or low temperatures.
For calculation purpose, temperature is measured in Kelvin. The relationship
between temperatures in degree Celsius and Kelvin is: ( )
( )
.
At standard temperature and pressure, commonly abbreviated as STP, temperature
and pressure are taken as 273.15 K (or 0 oC) and 1 atm respectively. It is also
common to define the behaviour of gas at what is referred to as standard ambient
temperature and pressure (abbreviated as SATP). At SATP, temperature is 298.15 K
(or 25 oC) and pressure is 1 atm (or 1 bar).
In this booklet, 273 K is used for absolute zero temperature.
3. Kinetic theory
The movement of ideal gas molecules can be described using the kinetic theory based
on three fundamental assumptions.
i.
Collision: Gas molecules move constantly but randomly in straight lines and collide
with each other and with the walls of their containers. This collision is perfectly
elastic, i.e. without any energy loss during the process
ii.
iii.
Space / Volume: The ideal gas molecules are considered to be of negligible

dimensions and so do not take up space
Inter-molecular forces: The gas molecules exert forces on each other only on
collision.
Real gases do not meet the conditions above. While it is highly likely that the collisions
are perfectly elastic, the inter-molecular force of attraction in gases becomes significant
when they are close to each other and this explains why gases condense to become
liquid and/or gas. Similarly, the space taken up by gas molecules cannot be ignored at
high pressures.
3.1. Gas pressure
From the kinetic theory, it is known that the pressure exerted by gas molecules on the
walls of the container depends on: (i) the mass of the molecules, (ii) the speed of the
molecules, and (iii) the number of molecules in the container.
The relationship is expressed as:
where
is the pressure of the gas (Pa);
is the volume of the gas (m3)
is the number of molecules;
is the mass of one molecule (kg)
is an average molecular speed (m/s)

Re-arranging the above formula, we can have
Since density is
It follows that pressure
where
is the density of the gas in kgm-3.
Note that the average molecular speed here is a root-mean-square (r.m.s.) and not
simply mean. In all cases, the latter is either less than or equal to the former.
3.2. Energy
Since the molecules of gases are in constant motion, they possess kinetic energy. The
value of the kinetic energy can be determined using a formula derived from the ideal
gas equation as will be shown in this section.
For the current case, it is assumed that the number of molecules is equal to one mole.
One mole of gas has an Avogadros number of molecules, denoted by NA. This has a
constant value of
and is called Avogadros constant. Hence, for one
mole of gas, we can have
and
Combining these two equations, we have
This can be simplified to give
Re-arranging this, we have

(
The left-hand side is a kinetic energy formula which can be written as:
(
The ratio of the gas constant (R) to Avogadro constant (NA) is also a constant, , which
is known as the Boltzmann constant. Its value is
or
. The kinetic energy of the gas molecules can therefore be expressed as
Also, the
is the (r.m.s.) mean kinetic energy of gas molecule. Based on the above, the
ideal gas equation can also be written as:
Derivation of
We know that
( )
But
( )
This implies that
( )
Substituting R in equation (1), we have
( )
The number of molecules, N, in gas is related to Avogadros constant and number of
moles as
( )
Combining equations (4) and (5), we have
WORKED EXAMPLES
Section 1: Boyles Law
questions 1b & 1c.
1) In the following questions, calculate

the final volume of gas at the specified
conditions assuming the temperature
and mass remain constant.
(b) V1 = 24 m3, P1 = 700 mmHg and P2 =

200 mmHg.
(a) V1 = 200 cm3, P1 = 600 mmHg and P2 =

800 mmHg.
Step 1: Choose a formula. In this case, it

is Boyles law.
(c) V1 = 110 cm3, P1 = 750 mmHg and P2 =

660 mmHg.
Step 2: Re-arrange the formula to make

the unknown the subject of the formula.
2) In the following questions, calculate

the final pressure of gas at the
specified conditions assuming the
temperature and mass remain
constant.
Step 3: Substitute the values of the

known variables to determine the
unknown variable.
(a) V1 = 1575 cm3, V2 = 1050 cm3 and P1 =

1.0 atm.

is Boyles law.
The above steps will be used for

(

unknown variable.
questions 2b & 2c.

(b) V1 = 48 litres, V2 = 32 litres and P1 =
1.8 atm.
Important
When using gas laws, it essential that
appropriate (combination of ) SI units are
used. For example, when Pascal (Pa) or
Newton per square metre (N/m2) are
used for pressure, the volume should be
in cubic metre (m3). Similarly, when
pressure is in atm, the volume should be
in litres.
(c) V1 = 22 m3, V2 = 40 m3 and P1 = 80

kPa.
Therefore, conversion should be carried

out prior to calculation. Example for is
760 mmHg = 1 atm = 101.325 kN-2.
3) A fixed mass of gas at a constant

temperature has a pressure of 2000 Pa
and a volume of 0.02 m3. It is
compressed until the volume is 0.005
m3. What is its new pressure?
For the question (2a) converting the

volumes (V1 and V2) to litres would not
make any difference to the final answers
since it is in ratio and the units can be
eliminated as shown below.
Step 1: List the known (and unknown)

variables.
10
V1 = 0.02 m3, P1 = 2000 Pa, V2 = 0.005 m3

and P2 = ?

is Boyles law.
Thus
unknown variable.
Thus

unknown variable.
5) A gas with a volume of 2 m3 is

compressed from a pressure of 100
kPa to a pressure of 500 kPa. If the
temperature remains unchanged,
what is the resulting volume?
4) Initially gas has a volume of 0.14 m3

and a pressure of 300 kPa. What will
be its volume when the pressure
becomes 60 kPa if the temperature
and mass remain unchanged?

variables.
V1 = 2 m3, P1= 100 kPa, P2 = 500 kPa and
V2 = ?
is Boyles law.

variables.
V1 = 0.14 m3, P1= 300 kPa, P2 = 60 kPa and
V2 = ?


is Boyles law.
Thus
11

unknown variable.
= 450 K
(

questions 6b 6d. Also remember
Section 2: Charles Law
to convert the temperature to

Kelvin where appropriate.
6) Calculate the final/initial temperature

of gas at the following specified
conditions assuming that pressure
and mass remain constant.
(b) V1 = 30 litres, V2 = 25 litres and T1 = 39

oC.
(a) V1 = 200 cm3, V2 = 300 cm3 and T1 =

27.0 oC.

is Charles law.
(c) V1 = 56 dm3, V2 = 40 dm3 and T2 = -13
oC.
(

unknown variable.
12
7) Calculate the initial volume of gas at

the following specified conditions
assuming that pressure and mass
remain constant.

is Charles law.
(a) V2 = 100 cm3, T1 = 270 K and T2 = 300

K.

Thus

unknown variable.
(b) V2 = 25 dm3, T1 = 240 K and T2 = 330 K

9) At a temperature of 200 K, the volume
of a sample of gas in a cylinder with a
smoothly fitting piston is 0.0024 m3.
The cylinder is heated while allowing
the gas to expand at constant
pressure. Calculate the volume of the
gas at a temperature of 300 K.
Similar to number 7b
8) The volume of a fixed mass of gas at

27 oC is 20 cm3. Find its volume at 57
oC if the pressure is kept constant.

variables.
V1 = 0.0024 m3, T1 = 200 K, T2 = 300 K
and V2 = ?

variables.

is Charles law.
V1 = 20 cm3, T1 = 27 oC = 300 K, T2 = 57
oC = 330 K and V = ?
2
13
Thus


unknown variable.
Thus

unknown variable.
11) A gas has a volume of 0.40 m3 at 10 C

and is heated to a temperature of 120
C. What will be its volume if the
pressure remains the same?
10) A gas has a volume of 0.010 m3 at 18

C. What will be its volume at 85C if
the pressure acting on the gas remains
unchanged?

variables.

variables.

is Charles law.
V1 = 0.40 m3, T1 = 10 oC = 283 K, T2 = 120

oC = 393 K and V = ?
2
V1 = 0.010 m3, T1 = 18 oC = 291 K, T2 = 85

oC = 358 K and V =?
2

is Charles law.
Thus

14

unknown variable.

unknown variable.
12) At a temperature of 200 K, the

pressure of air in a flask is 100 kPa.
What will the pressure be at a
temperature of 300 K? Assuming the
volume of the flask is constant.
13) A vessel of 356 cm3 capacity contains

oxygen at a pressure of 760 mmHg
and temperature of 15 oC. Assuming
that the volume remains constant,
calculate:
(a) the pressure inside the vessel when it
was warmed to 100 oC, and
(b) the temperature to which it must be
raised to give a pressure of 2 atm.

variables.

variables.
T1 = 200 K, P1 = 100 kPa, T2 = 300 K and P2

=?
P1 = 760 mmHg, T1 = 15 oC = 288 K
Section 3: Gay-Lussacs Law
a) When T2 = 100 oC = 373 K and

P2 = ?

is Gay-Lussacs law.
Step 2a: Choose a formula. In this case, it

is Gay-Lussacs law; re-arrange this to
make the unknown the subject of the
formula.

Thus
( )
(
15
Assuming that the temperature

remains constant, calculate the
pressure in the flask when the tap is
opened.
b) When P2 = 2 atm = 2(760) mmHg

and T2 = ?
Step 2b: Choose a formula. In this case, it
formula.
Step 1: Work out what the variables are

from the information given in the
question.
( )
unknown variable.
(
This is because vessel B was evaluated or

emptied at this state.
Step 4: Convert the temperature to

degree Celsius.
This is because the tap between the

vessels is now open and the gas can fill
the two vessels.
Note that since volume is
Step 2: Now List the known (and

unknown) variables.
constant at 356 cm3, it is not

required in the calculation and
For this case, the initial variables, V1 and

P1, are the value of pressure and volume
of gas in vessel A before the tap was
opened. The final variables, V2 and P2, are
the value of pressure and volume of gas
in the combined vessels (A and B).
so Gay-Lussacs law is the

appropriate formula.
14) Two vessels A (100 cm3 capacity) and
B (300 cm3 capacity) were separated
by a tap. A was filled with gas at 748
kNm-2 pressure and B was evacuated
until its inner pressure was negligible.
Therefore, we have the following state

variables:
16
V1 = 100 cm3, P1 = 748 kNm-2, V2 = 400

cm3 and P2 = ?


formula.
Thus

unknown variable.
( )
unknown variable.
(
Section 4: Combined gas law

15) In the morning, when the temperature
is 286 K, a bicyclist finds that the
absolute pressure in his tires is 501
kPa. That afternoon he finds that the
pressure in the tires has increased to
554 kPa. Ignoring expansion of the
tires, find the afternoon temperature.
16) Calculate the final temperature of gas

at the following specified conditions
assuming that mass remains constant.
(a) V1 = 466 dm3, V2 = 500 dm3, P1 = 300
mmHg, P2 = 450 mmHg and T1 = 47
oC.

variables.

is combined gas law.
T1 = 286 K, P1 = 501 kPa, P2 = 554 kPa and

T2 = ?
is Gay-Lussacs law.

( )( )
17

unknown variable.
(
)(
17) Calculate the initial pressure at the

following specified conditions
assuming that mass remains constant.
(a) V1 = 100 dm3, V2 = 1.0 dm3, P2 = 400
kNm-2, T1 = 250 K and T2 = 200 K.

questions 16b & 16c. Again

remember to convert
temperature to Kelvin scale.
( )( )
(b) V1 = 700 m3, V2 = 550 m3, P1 = 39 kPa,
P2 = 77 kPa and T1 = 57 oC.
)(

unknown variable.
(
)
)(
(b) V1 = 2.8 litres, V1 = 1.8 litres, P2 = 2.0

atm, T1 = 280 K and T2 = 350 K.
(c) V1 = 5 litres, V2 = 15 litres, P1 = 3.6

atm, P2 = 1.8 atm and T1 = -11 oC.
)(
)(
)
(c) V1 = 1.50 m3, V2 = 2.40 m3, P2 = 90.0
kNm-2, T1 = 300 K and T2 = 360 K.
18
(
(
)(
)(
18) A given mass of gas has a volume of

480 cm3 at STP, calculate its volume
under the following conditions:
(a) 39 oC and 800 mmHg.
(b) -13 oC and 960 mmHg.
questions 18b & 18c.
In the current case,V1 = 480 cm3,
V1 = 480 cm3, P1 = 760 mmHg, T1 = 273 K,

P2 = 960 mmHg, T2 = -13 oC = 260 K and
V2 = ?
P1 = 760 mmHg,T1 = 273K and V2

will be determined under the
known conditions.

variables.
)(
V1 = 480 cm3, P1 = 760 mmHg, T1 = 273 K,

P2 = 120 kNm-2, T2 = 240 K and V2 = ?
V1 = 480 cm3, P1 = 760 mmHg, T1 = 273 K,

P2 = 800 mmHg, T2 = 39 oC = 312 K and
V2 = ?

is combined gas law; re-arrange this to
formula.
)(
(c) 546 K and 50 kNm-2.
V1 = 480 cm3, P1 = 100 kNm-2, T1 = 273 K,

P2 = 50 kNm-2, T2 = 546 K and V2 = ?
( )( )
unknown variable.
19
)(
V1 = 64.4 litres, T1 = 49 oC = 322 K, P1 =

1.5 atm, T2 = 273 K, P2 = 1 atm and V2 = ?
(
19) What volume would the following

gases occupy at STP?
(a) 76 cm3 measured at 14 oC and 820
mmHg.
)(
(c) 20 dm3 measured at 400 K and 80

kNm-2.
This is similar to the previous

V1 = 20 dm3, T1 = 400 K, P1 = 80 kNm-2, T2
= 273 K, P2 = 100 kNm-2 and V2 = ?
question (No 15) except that the

values at STP are the final
values. In other words, we have
)(
P2 = 760 mmHg, T2 = 273K and V2

is determined using the known
20) Calculate the final pressure of the

following gases.
values as V1, P1 and T1.
(a) V1 = 160 cm3, T1 = 47 oC, P1 = 700

mmHg, V2= 140 cm3 and T2 = 79 oC.
V1 = 76 cm3, T1 = 14 oC = 287 K, P1= 820
mmHg, T2 = 273 K, P2 = 760 mmHg and
V2 = ?

( )( )
(
)(
)
(b) 64.4 litres measured at 49 oC and 1.5

atm.
( )( )
20

unknown variable.
(
)(

This implies
(b) V1 = 7.5 litres, T1 = -23 oC= 250 K
,
o
P1 = 20 atm, V2 = 15 litres, T2 = 27 C
= 300 K and P2 = ?
Thus,
( )( )
)(

unknown variable.
(c) V1 = 2 dm3, T1 = 300 K, P1 = 150 kNm2, V = 3 dm3, T = 150 K and P = ?.

2
2
2
( )(
)(
Step 4: Convert the temperature to

degree Celsius.
21) Calculate the final temperature of the

following gases in oC:
(a) V1 = 750 cm3, T1 = 2 oC = 275 K, P1 =

350 mmHg, V2 = 630 cm3, P2 = 400
mmHg and T2 = ?
questions 21b & 21c.

(b) V1 = 150 cm3, T1 = 42 oC = 315 K, P1 =
1.0 atm, V2 = 200 cm3, P2 = 2.0 atm and
T2 = ?

21

unknown variable.
)( )
)(
(c) V1 = 8 dm3, T1 = 240 K, P1 = 70 kNm-2,

V2 = 7 dm3, P2 = 100 kNm-2 and T2 = ?
( )(
23) A compressed-air tank holds 0.500 m3

of air at a temperature of 285 K and a
pressure of 880 kPa. What volume
would the air occupy if it were
released into the atmosphere, where
the pressure is 101 kPa and the
temperature is 303 K?
22) A gas has a volume of 0.100 m3 at a

temperature of 25C and a pressure of
140 kPa. What will be its temperature
at a pressure of 700 kPa if the new
volume is 0.200 m3?

variables.
V1 = 0.500 m3, T1 = 285 K, P1= 880 kPa, T2
= 303 K, P2 = 101 kPa and V2 = ?

variables.

is combined gas law; re-arrange it to
formula.
V1 = 1.00 m3, V2 = 0.200 m3 , T1 = 25 oC =

298 K, P1= 140 kPa, P2 = 700 kPa and T2 =
?
( )( )

formula.

unknown variable.
( )( )
(
22
)(

variables.
24) A gas cylinder contains 0.11 m3 of gas

at an absolute pressure of 1000 kPa
and a temperature of 15 C. What will
be the volume of the gas at the
atmospheric pressure of 101 kPa and a
room temperature of 25 oC?
V1 = 0.4 m3, T1 = 30 oC = 303 K, P1= 90

kPa, T2 = 0 oC = 273 K, P2 = 101 kPa and
V2 = ?
formula.

variables.
( )( )
V1 = 0.11 m3, T1 = 15 oC = 288 K, P1= 1000

kPa, T2 = 25 oC = 298 K, P2 = 101 kPa and
V2 = ?

unknown variable.

formula.
)(
( )( )
26) A cylinder of compressed air has a
volume of 2.12 litres and a pressure of
11.0 atm at 15 oC. What volume would
the air from the cylinder occupy at
STP?

unknown variable.
(
)(
)
variables.
25) A gas has a volume of 0.40 m3 at a

pressure of 90 kPa and a temperature
of 30 C. What will be its volume at
STP?
V1 = 2.12 litres, P1= 11.0 atm, T1 = 15 oC =

288 K, P2 = 760 mmHg = 1.00 atm, T2 =
273 K and V2 = ?
23

formula.
)(
( )( )
Step 4: Determine the volume occupied
by 32.0 g of oxygen gas (using
Avogadros law).

unknown variable.
(
)(
That is to say, 1.12 litres of O2 at 30 oC

and 754 mmHg is equivalent to 1.001
litres of the same gas (i.e. O2) at STP.
Thus, 1.001 litres of O2 at STP has a mass
of 1.43 g.
27) 1.12 litres of oxygen measured at 30 oC

and 754 mmHg has a mass of 1.43 g.
Calculate the volume occupied by 32.0
g of oxygen at STP.
This implies that 32 g would have a

volume of
28) A gas with a volume of 0.40 m3 at STP
is heated until it occupies a volume of
0.46 m3 at a pressure of 115 kPa. What
will be its temperature?

variables.
V1 = 1.12 litres, P1 = 754 mmHg, T1 = 30
oC = 303 K, P = 760 mmHg, T = 273 K
2
2
and V2 = ?

variables.
V1 = 0.40 m3, T1 = 0 oC = 273 K, P1= 101
kPa, V2 = 0.46 m3, P2 = 115 kPa and T2 = ?

formula.

formula.
( )( )
unknown variable.
This implies that
24

unknown variable.
Thus,
( )( )
unknown variable.
(
)(
)(
30) 1 litre of hydrogen at STP weighs

0.090 g. Calculate the mass of 2.56
litres of hydrogen measured at 25 oC
and 736 mmHg.

variables.
29) A gas at a pressure of 250 kPa and
temperature 20 C has a volume of
0.050 m3. What will be its volume at a
pressure of 400 kPa and a temperature
of 100 C?
V1 = 2.56 litres, P1 = 736 mmHg, T1 = 20

oC = 293 K, P = 760 mmHg, T = 273 K
2
2
and V2 = ?
formula.

variables.
( )( )
V1 = 0.050 m3, T1 = 20 oC = 293 K, P1= 250

kPa, T2 = 100 oC = 373 K, P2 = 400 kPa
and V2 = ?

unknown variable.

formula.
( )( )
)(
Step 4: Convert the volume to equivalent

weight.
25
constant, the question can
But, 1 litre of H2 at STP weighs 0.09 g,

which implies that 2.31 litres would
)
weigh (
.
simply be solved using Charles

law. As it is apparent in the
31) A balloon contains 3.7 litres of

nitrogen gas at a temperature of 87 K
and a pressure of 101 kPa. If the
temperature of the gas is allowed to
increase to 24 oC and the pressure
remains constant, what volume will
the gas occupy?
above that
Section 5: Ideal gas equation

32) An air cylinder for a scuba diver
contains 150 moles of air at 15 oC. The
cylinder has a volume of 0.012 m3.
(The gas constant R = 8.3 J K-1 mol-1.)

variables.
a. Calculate the pressure in the air

cylinder.
b. Calculate the gas volume when
it is all released at atmospheric
pressure of 100 kPa and a
temperature of 25 oC.
V1 = 3.7 litres, P1 = P2 =101 kPa, T1 = 87 K,

T2 = 24 oC = 297 K and V2 = ?
formula.

variables.
( )( )
unknown variable.
(
)(
n = 150 mol, R = 8.3 J K-1 mol-1, V1 = 0.012

m3, T1 = 288 K, T2 = 298 K, P2 = 100 kPa,
P1 =? and V2 = ?
a) Pressure in the air cylinder

is ideal gas equation; re-arrange this to
formula.
Since the pressure remains
Thus
26
Step 3b: Substitute the values of the

unknown variable.
For this case, V = V1 and T = T1
For this case, P1 = 2.988 x 107 Pa
Step 3a: Substitute the values of the

unknown variable.
)(
It follows that
33) What is the mass of gas at a pressure
of 500 kPa and a temperature of 50 C
if it occupies a volume of 0.10 m3? The
gas has a characteristic gas constant of
189 J kg-1 K-1.

variables.
Mega is one of the many suffixes
R = 189 J kg-1 K-1, V = 0.10 m3, T = 50 oC =

323 K, P = 500 kPa and m = ?
used in science and

engineering, which is

formula.
equivalent to 106. For example
b) Volume.
Thus

formula.

unknown variable.
( )( )
27

formula.
Since the universal gas constant
Thus
is measured in J/kg/K, the

number of moles (n) in the
original equation is replaced by

unknown variable.
m, the mass of the gas. This is

true since mass of gas is directly
proportional to mole since the
molecular mass remains
constant.
Step 4: Now calculate the pressure when

1.7 kg of the gas is added.
34) A rigid gas container of an internal
volume of 1.2 m3 holds 1.8 kg of gas at
18 C. What is the pressure of the gas
and to what value will it change if a
further 0.8 kg of gas is added at the
same temperature? The gas has a
characteristic gas constant of 287 J kg-1
K-1.
Let the new pressure be pn , and

m = (1.8 + 0.8) kg = 2.6 kg.
Thus

variables.
m = 1.8 kg, R = 287 J kg-1 K-1, V = 1.2 m3, T
= 18 oC = 291 K and P = ?
35) What is the mass of gas at a pressure

of 350 kPa and a temperature of 35 C
28
if it occupies a volume of 0.030 m3.

The gas has a characteristic gas
constant of 290 J kg-1 K-1?

variables.
R = 8.31 J mol-1 K-1, V = 7023 m3, T = 285
K, P = 112 kPa and m = ?

variables.

is the ideal gas equation; re-arrange this
to make the unknown the subject of the
formula.
R = 290 J kg-1 K-1, V = 0.030 m3, T = 35 oC

= 308 K, P = 350 kPa and m = ?
formula.
Thus
Thus

unknown variable.

unknown variable.
Step 4: Determine the mass of helium.
36) The Goodyear blimp spirit of Akron is

62.6 m long and contains 7023 m3 of
helium. When the temperature of the
helium is 285 K, its absolute pressure
is 112 kPa. Find the mass of the
helium in the blimp.
37) A typical region of intersteller space

may contain 106 atoms per cubic meter
(primarily hydrogen) at a temperature
of 100 K. What is the pressure of this
gas?
29

variables.
N/V
N = 106 atoms, k = 287 J kg-1 K-1, V = 1 m3,

T = 100 K and P = ?
Alternatively, we can consider the first

approach, i.e. with V = 1 m3 and N =106,
we can have
Note that volume is taken as 1

m3 and number of particle as 106
atoms. Alternatively, it is also
possible to consider 106 atoms
per cubic meter as the N / V in
the formula.

formula.
It is important to note here that

the final answer in this question
Thus
is given in one significant

figure (s.f.) since it is the least
s.f. in the values of the
Or
quantities given in the question.

( )
This applies to all answers.

unknown variable.
38) A rigid container with an internal

volume of 0.85 m3 contains gas at a
pressure of 275 kPa and temperature
of 15 C. What will be the pressure of
the gas in the container if an
additional 1.7 kg of the gas is pumped
30
into the container at the same

temperature? The gas has a
characteristic gas constant of 290 Jkg-1
K-1.

variables.
39) A gas has a temperature of 310 K and
a pressure of 101 kPa. (a) Find the
volume occupied by 1.25 mol of this
gas, assuming it is ideal. (b) Assuming
the gas molecules can be
approximated as small spheres of
diameter 2.5 x 10-10 m, determine the
fraction of the volume found in part
(a) that is occupied by the molecules.
R = 290 J kg-1 K-1, V = 0.85 m3, T = 15 oC =

288 K, P = 275 kPa and m = ?
formula.
Thus

variables.
n = 1.25 mol, R = 8.31 J mol-1 K-1, T = 310
K, P = 101 kPa, diameter = 2.5 x 10-10 m
and V = ?

unknown variable.
a) Volume
formula.
Step 4: Now calculate the pressure when

1.7 kg of the gas is added.
When additional 1.7 kg is added, the new
mass of the gas is 4.5 kg.
Thus
Therefore, the pressure of the gas in the

container can be calculated as follows
31

unknown variable.
Section 6: Additional
examples
b) Fraction of the volume occupied

by the molecules.
Step 4: Determine the volume occupied
by a molecule.
40) The air pressure of a constant volume

gas thermometer is 1.010 x 105 Pa at
ice point and 1.600 x 105 Pa at steam
point. Determine the Celsius
temperature when the pressure of the
gas is 1.250 x 105 Pa.
Volume occupied by a molecule =

volume of a sphere
)
variables.
T1 = 0 oC = 273 K, P1 = 1.010 x 105 Pa, T2
=100 oC = 373 K, P2 = 1.600 x 105 Pa, P3 =
1.250 x 105 Pa and T3 =?
But the number of molecules, N, in the

gas is
Step 2: Work out the pressure and

temperature difference.
Therefore, the total volume of the

molecules
This is proportional to temperature

difference
Thus, the fraction occupied by the

molecules
32
41) Helium at atmospheric pressure of

100 kPa has a density of 0.17 kg m-3 at
273 K. Calculate the r.m.s. speed of the
molecules.
Also,

variables.
P = 100 kPa, = 0.17 kg m-3, T = 273 K, c
=?
This is proportional to temperature

difference
Step 2: Choose a formula and re-arrange

this to make the unknown the subject of
the formula.

is a modified Gay-Lussacs law and rearrange accordingly.
Using the Gay-Lussacs law, we can have

unknown variable.

unknown variable.
42) Compute (a) the number of moles and

(b) the number of molecules in 1.00
cm3 of an ideal gas at a pressure of 100
Pa and a temperature of 220 K.
33

variables.
Step 3b: Substitute the values of the

unknown variable.
P = 100 Pa, V = 1.00 cm3, T = 220 K, NA =

6.02 x 1023 mol-1, R = 8.31 J mol-1 K-1, k =
1.38 x 10-23 J K-1, N= ? and n= ?
a) the number of moles, n
formula.
Alternatively, since we have found the

value of n in (a), we can use the formula
below to find the number of molecules in
1.00 cm3 of the gas as follows:
Thus
(
(
Step 3a: Substitute the values of the

unknown variable.
)
)
43) A mole of hydrogen molecules, each

of mass 3.3 x 10-27 kg, is contained in a
cylinder of volume 0.050 m3. The
molecules have an r.m.s. speed of 800
m s-1. Calculate the pressure of the
gas. (Avogadro constant NA = 6.0 x
1023 mol-1).
b) the number of molecules

formula.

variables.
m = 3.3 x 10-27 kg, V = 0.05 m3, c = 800 m/s,
and P?
Thus

the formula.
34
For one mole of hydrogen, we have the

number of molecules, N, equal to
Avogadros constant, NA
Note that the partial pressures

for nitrogen and hydrogen must
be calculated.

unknown variable.
Let
and
be the partial pressures for
nitrogen and hydrogen gases
respectively. Also, let
and
be the
number of moles for nitrogen and
hydrogen gases respectively.
Step 3: Determine the number of moles
for nitrogen and hydrogen gases
44) A metal can of volume 2000.0 cm3

contains 2.0 g of nitrogen gas and 6.0
g of hydrogen gas at exactly 200 oC.
What is the total pressure of gas in the
can?
Therefore,

variables.
V = 2000.0 cm3, T = 200 oC = 473 K, mass
of nitrogen gas = 2.0 g, mass of hydrogen
gas = 6 g
Step 3: Determine the partial pressures of

the gases.

formula.
For nitrogen gas, we have
35
For hydrogen gas, we have
from 0.1 m3 to 0.15 m3. How much

work is done in the expansion?

variables.
V1 = 0.1m3, V2 = 0.15 m3, P = 1.0 x 105 Pa
and W = ?
Step 3: Determine the total pressure in

the can using Daltons law of partial
pressures.

the formula.
Let
be the total pressure in the can.
Therefore,

unknown variable.
(
(
45) A gas expands at a constant pressure

of 1.0 x 105 Pa. Its volume increases
36
)
)
Bibliography and Further Reading

1) Bolton, W., 2006. Engineering Science. 5th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Newnes.
2) Brown, C. and Ford, M., 2009. Higher Level Chemistry developed specifically for the IB
Diploma. Harlow: Pearson Education.
3) Akusoba, E.U. and Ewelukwu, G. O., 1989. Calculations in Chemistry for Senior
Secondary School. Onitsha: Africana First Publishers.
4) Halliday, D., Resnick, R. and Walker, J., 2001. Fundamental of Physics. 6th ed. New
York: John Wiley & Sons.
5) Johnson, K., Hewett, S., Holt, S. and Miller, J., 2000. Advanced Physics for You.
Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
6) Lewis, R. and Evans, W., 2011. Chemistry. 4th ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
7) Norris, R., Ryan, L. and Acaster, D., 2011. Cambridge International AS and A Level
Chemistry Coursework Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8) Walker, J. S., 2010. Physics. 4th ed. San Francisco: Addison-Wesley.
.
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WORKED EXAMPLES

GAS LAWS & KINETIC

Worked Examples on Mechanics

Worked Example on Complex Number

Worked Examples on Calculus

Worked Examples on Circuit Theorems

And, of course, many more.

University), K. F. Tamrin (University of Malaya & Advanced Technovation Ltd),

INTRODUCTION TO GAS LAWS

As with Boyles law, Charles law can also be expressed as:

1.3. Gay-Lussacs law

1.4. Avogadros law

As with others, we can have

Mathematically, the combined gas law can be expressed as:

The last expression can be regarded as Boyles - Charles - Gay-Lussacs Avogadros

Substitute for T2 and n2

Multiply both sides by T1n1

This cancels out as

1.6. Daltons law

where PT is the total pressure of the mixture and

, are the pressures of the

2. The Ideal Gas Equation

By multiplying the right-hand sides of the above expressions, we have

More commonly represented as:

The behaviour of gases is approximately equal to the above laws at room

Space / Volume: The ideal gas molecules are considered to be of negligible

is the volume of the gas (m3)

is the number of molecules;

is the mass of one molecule (kg)

is an average molecular speed (m/s)

It follows that pressure

is the density of the gas in kgm-3.

Combining these two equations, we have

This can be simplified to give

Re-arranging this, we have

1) In the following questions, calculate

(b) V1 = 24 m3, P1 = 700 mmHg and P2 =

(a) V1 = 200 cm3, P1 = 600 mmHg and P2 =

Step 1: Choose a formula. In this case, it

(c) V1 = 110 cm3, P1 = 750 mmHg and P2 =

Step 2: Re-arrange the formula to make

2) In the following questions, calculate

Step 3: Substitute the values of the

(a) V1 = 1575 cm3, V2 = 1050 cm3 and P1 =

Step 1: Choose a formula. In this case, it

The above steps will be used for

Step 2: Re-arrange the formula to make

The above steps will be used for

Step 3: Substitute the values of the

questions 2b & 2c.

(c) V1 = 22 m3, V2 = 40 m3 and P1 = 80

Therefore, conversion should be carried

3) A fixed mass of gas at a constant

For the question (2a) converting the

Step 1: List the known (and unknown)

V1 = 0.02 m3, P1 = 2000 Pa, V2 = 0.005 m3

Step 1: Choose a formula. In this case, it

Step 3: Substitute the values of the

5) A gas with a volume of 2 m3 is

4) Initially gas has a volume of 0.14 m3

Step 1: List the known (and unknown)

Step 1: List the known (and unknown)

Step 3: Re-arrange the formula to make

Step 2: Choose a formula. In this case, it