Chapter 5

Gases
A Gas Uniformly fills any container
Mixes completely with any other gas
Can easily be compressed
Exerts pressure on its surroundings

The properties of a gas depends upon four variables Pressure (P)

Is equal to force/unit area
Measured by a barometer
SI unit = Newtons/meter2 = 1 Pascal (Pa)
1 standard atmosphere = 101,325 Pa
1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 760 torr
Volume (V) of the gas = volume of the container
Temperature (T) measured in Kelvin
Number of moles (n)

A Torricellian Barometer

A Simple Manometer

The Gas Laws

Boyles Law: At constant temperature, the
volume of a gas is inversely proportional to the
pressure
V 1/P V = k x 1/P PV = k (where k is
constant)
P1V1 = P2V2 = constant (k) = PV (1 and 2
represents two states)
Pressure x Volume = constant (T = constant)
(Holds precisely only at very low pressures)

A J-Tube Similar to the One Used by Boyle

Plotting Data for Boyles Law

Example: A sample of CO2 gas is placed in a 125

mL flask where it has a pressure of 67.5 mm Hg.
What pressure will it has when it is transferred to a
500 mL flask at the same temperature?
P1 = 67.5 mm Hg P2 = ?
V1 = 125 mL V2 = 500 mL
P1V 1 = P2V2
P2 = (P1V 1 )/V2
= (67.5 mm Hg x 125 mL)/500 mL
= 16.9 mm Hg

Charles Law: At constant pressure (P), the volume

of a gas is directly proportional to temperature of the
gas and extrapolates to zero at zero Kelvin.
V T V = bT
Where,
b = proportionality constant
T = Kelvin temperature,
V/T = b V1/T1 = V2/T2 = b

Plots of V Versus T (C) for Several Gases

Example: A sample of gas at 15oC and 1 atm has

a volume of 2.58 L. What volume will this gas
occupy at 38oC and 1 atm?
T1 = 15oC + 273 = 288 K,
V1 = 2.58 L ,
T2 = 38oC + 273 = 311 K,

V2 =?

V1/T1 = V2/T2
Solving for V2 = V1 T2 / T1
= (2.58 L x 311 K)/288 K
= 2.79 L

 Avogadros Law: Equal volume of gases at the same

temperature and pressure contain the same number of
particles. At constant temperature and pressure, the
volume is directly proportional to the number of
moles of gas (at low pressures).
V = an
Where, V = the volume of the gas, n = the number of
moles of gas particle, and a = proportionality constant
V1/n1 = V2/n2 = a = constant
At constant temperature and pressure, the volume of a
gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of
gas.

Balloons Holding 1.0 L of Gas at 25 C and 1 atm

Example: 12.2 L sample containing 0.50 mol oxygen

gas at a pressure of 1 atm and a temperature of 25 oC. If
all this O2 were converted to ozone at the same temp.
and pressure, what would be the volume of ozone?
3O2 2O3(g)
0.50 mol O2 x (2 mol O3 )/(3 mol O2 ) = 0.33 mol O3
V1= 12.2 L, V2 = ?
n1 = 0.50 mol, n2 = 0.33 mol
V1/n1 = V2/n2
Solving for V2 = V1n2 / n1
= (12.2 L x 0.33 mol)/(0.50 mol) = 8.1 L

The Ideal Gas Law: (An equation of state for a gas)

Boyles law: V = k/P (at constant T and n)
Charles law: V = bT (at constant P and n)
Avogadros law: V = an (at constant T and P)
The volume of gas depends on pressure, temperature,
and number of moles of gas present, can be combined
as follows:
V = R(Tn/P); where, R = combined proportionality
constant known as universal gas constant.
PV = nRT (Holds closely at P < 1 atm)
P = Pressure in atm
V = Volume in liters
n = number of moles T = Temperature in Kelvins
R = Universal gas constant = 0.08206 L.atm K-1 mol-1

Example: Nitrogen gas in an air bag at 850 mm

Hg and 25oC has a volume of 3.5 x 104 mL. How
many moles of gas are in there?
P = 850 mm Hg x 1 atm / 760 mm Hg = 1.118 atm
T = 25oC + 273 = 298 K
V = 3.5 x 104 mL x 1L / 1000 mL = 35 L
PV = nRT
n = PV/RT
=(1.118 atm x 35 L)/(0.0821 L.Atm K-1mol-1 x
298K) = 1.6 moles N2

Example: A gas containing 0.35 mol argon at a temperature of

13oC and a pressure of 568 torr is heated to 56 oC and pressure
of 897 torr. Calculate the change in volume that occurs.
P1 = 568 torr x 1 atm/760 torr P2 = 897 torr x 1 atm/760 torr

= 0.747 atm
= 1.18 atm
V1 = ?
V2 = ?
T1 = 13oC + 273 = 286 K
T2 = 56oC + 273 = 329 K
n1 = 0.35 mol
n2 = 0.35 mol
P1V1 = n1RT1
P1V1 = n1RT1
V1 = n1RT1 /P1 = (0.35 mol x 0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x
286K) / (0.747 atm) = 11 L
V2 = n2RT2 /P2 = (0.35 mol x 0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x
329K) / (1.18 atm) = 8.0 L
V = V2 - V1 = 8.00 L 11.0 L = -3 L (Volume decreases)

Gas Stoichiometry
The conditions 0oC and 1 atm called Standard
Temperature and Pressure (STP)
Suppose we have 1 mol of an ideal gas at 0 oC
and 1 atm, the volume of the gas is given by
ideal gas law,
V = nRT / P
= (1 mol x 0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x
273K) / (1 atm) = 22.42 L
Molar Volume of an ideal gas at STP

A Mole of Any Gas Occupies a Volume

of Approximately 22.4 L at STP

Example: A sample of N2 gas has a volume of

1.75 L at STP. How many moles of N2 are
present?
1.75 L N2 x (1 mol N2)/22.42 L N2 = 7.81 x 10-2
mol N2
OR
PV = nRT
n = PV/RT = (1 atm x 1.75 L)/(0.08206
L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x 273 K)
= 7.81 x 10-2 mol N2

Molar Mass
By using ideal gas law we can calculate the molar
mass (molecular weight) of a gas from its measured
density.
PV = nRT
n = grams of gas/molar mass = m/molar mass
PV = (m/molar mass)RT P = mRT/V(molar mass)
m/V is the gas density d in units of grams per liter,
Thus, P = dRT/molar mass
molar mass = dRT/P
If density of a gas at a given temperature and
pressure is known, its molar mass can be calculated.

Example: The density of a gas was measured at

1.50 atm and 27oC and found to be 1.95 g/L.
Calculate the molar mass of the gas.
P = 1.50 atm
T = 27oC + 273 = 300K
d = 1.95 g/L
Molar mass = dRT/P

g
L . a tm
1 .9 5 0 .0 8 2 0 6
300K
L
K .m o l
=
1 .5 0 a t m
= 32.0 g/mol

Daltons Law of Partial Pressures

For a mixture of gases in a container, the total pressure
exerted is the sum of the pressure that each gas would
exert if it were alone.
Ptotal = P1+ P2 + P3 + --- (P1, P2 , P3 --- represent partial P)
Partial pressure of each gas can be calculated from ideal
gas law,
P1 = n1RT/V, P2 = n2RT/V, P3 = n3RT/V
Ptotal = P1+ P2 + P3 + ---- = n1RT/V + n2RT/V + n3RT/V
= (n1+n2+n3+---)RT/V = ntotal (RT/V)
For a mixture of ideal gas, the total number of moles of
particles is important, not the identity or composition of
the involved gas.

Partial Pressure of Each Gas in a Mixture

Partial Pressure
Example: 46 L He at 25oC and 1.0 atm and 12 L O2 at
25oC and 1.0 atm were pumped into a tank with a
volume of 5.0 L. Calculate the partial pressure of each
gas and the total pressure in the tank at 25oC.
PV = nRT
n = PV/RT
1.0 atm x 46 L
nHe

1
.
9
m
o
l
0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x (25+273) K
atm x 12 L
n o 1.0
2

0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x 298K

0 .4 9 m o l

Partial Pressure (example) continued

Again, PV = nRT P = nRT /V

H e

1.9 mol x 0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x 298K

9 .3 a t m

5.0 L

0.49 mol x 0.08206 L.atm.mol-1.K-1 x 298K

2 .4 a t m

5.0 L

Ptotal = PHe + PO2 = (9.3 + 2.4) atm = 11.7 atm

Mole Fraction
The ratio of the number of moles of a given component
in a mixture to the total number of moles in the mixture.
Mole fraction = 1

n1
n T o ta l

n1

n 1 n 2 n 3 ....

n = P(V/RT) [# of moles proportion to pressure]

V
n 1 P 1

RT

V
n 2 P 2

RT

Mole Fraction continued

1 n 1

n T o ta l

P 1(V / R T )

P 1(V / R T ) P 2 (V / R T ) P 3(V / R T ) . . .
(V / R T ) P 1

(V / R T ) ( P 1 P 2 P 3 . . . )
P1
P1

P 1 P 2 P 3 . . . P T o ta l
1

n1

n T o ta l
n
n

T o ta l

T o ta l

P
P

T o ta l

P1

1 x PTotal

P 2

2 x PTotal

Example: The partial pressure of oxygen was

observed to be 156 torr in air with a total
atomospheric pressure of 743 torr. Calculate
the mole fraction of O2 present.
Mole fraction of O2,
O2 = PO2/PTotal = 156 torr/743 torr = 0.210

Example: The mole fraction of N2 in the air

is 0.7808. Calculate the partial pressure of
N2 in air when the atomospheric pressure is
760 torr.
The partial pressure of N2,
PN2 = N2 x PTotal = 0.7808 x 760 torr
= 593 torr

The Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases

1.
2.

3.

4.

Postulates for an Ideal Gas:

The particles are so small that the volume of the
particles can be assumed to be negligible (zero).
The particles are in constant motion. The collision of
the particles with the walls of the container are the
cause of the pressure exerted by the gas.
The particles are assumed to exert no forces on each
other, they are assumed neither to attract nor to repel
each other.
The average kinetic energy of a collection of gas
particles is assumed to be directly proportional to the
Kelvin temperature of the gas.

The Effects of Decreasing the Volume of

a Sample of Gas at Constant Temperature

The Effects of Increasing the Temperature

of a Sample of Gas at Constant Volume

The Effects of Increasing the Temperature

of a Sample of Gas at Constant Pressure

The Effects of Increasing the Number of Moles of

Gas Particles at Constant Temperature and Pressure

Effusion And Diffusion

Effusion: Flow of gas particles through tiny pores
or pinholes due to pressure differences. Describes
the passage of gas into an evacuated chamber.
Diffusion: Movement of gas particles through
space, from a region of high concentration to one of
low concentration. Describes the mixing of gases.
The rate of diffusion is the rate of gas mixing.

Grahams law of effusion: The rate of effusion of

a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of
the mass of its particle. Relative rates of effusion of
two gases at the same temperature and pressure are
given by the inverse ratio of the square roots of the
masses of the gas particle:
M 2
Rate of effusion for gas 1

Rate of effusion for gas 2

M 1
M1 and M2 represents the molar masses of the
gases.
Diffusion:
M 2
Distance traveled by gas 1

Distance traveled by gas 2

M 1

The Effusion of a Gas into

an Evacuated Chamber

HCI(g) and NH3(g) Meet in a Tube

Real Gases
An ideal gas is a hypothetical concept. No gas exactly
follows the ideal gas law. Real gas typically exhibit
behavior that is closest to ideal behavior at low pressure
and high temperature. Must correct ideal gas behavior
when at high pressure (smaller volume) and low
temperature (attractive forces become important)

obs

nRT
n 2

a
V
V nb

Rearrangement gives vander Waals equation:

n
a V n b n R T
V
2

obs

Plots of PV/nRT Versus P for Several Gases (200 K)

Plots of PV/nRT Versus P for Nitrogen Gas at Three Temperatures

Chemistry in the Atmosphere

The principal components are N2 and O2. Other
important gases are H2O, CO2, Ar, Ne, He, CH4,
Kr, H2, NO, Xe etc.
Because of gravitational effects, the composition
of the earths atmosphere is not constant.
Heavier molecules tend to be near the earths
surface and light molecules tend to migrate to
higher altitudes.
Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere.

Chemistry in the Atmosphere continued

Ozone in the upper atmosphere helps prevent

high energy ultraviolet radiation from
penetrating to the earth.
Two main sources of pollution are
transportation and the production of electricity.
The combustion of petroleum produces CO, CO 2,
NO, and NO2, along with unburned molecules
from petroleum.

Reactions Occurring in the Atmosphere

energy

NO2(g) NO(g) + O(g)

O(g) + O2(g)
O3(g)
O3 Light O2* + O*
O* + H2O 2OH
OH + NO2
HNO3
S(in coal) + O2(g)
2SO2(g ) + O2(g)
SO3(g ) + H2O(l)
acid rain

SO2(g)
2SO3(g )
H2SO4(aq) [corrosive]

Summary
Gas properties depends on four variables
pressure, volume, temperature, and amount of
gas.
Boyles law: PV = constant
Charles law: V/T = constant
Avogadros law: V/n = constant
Ideal gas law: PV = nRT
Molar mass = dRT/P

Daltons law of partial pressures:

Ptotal = P1+ P2 + P3 + ---

Summary continued

Mole fraction: 1 = n1/ntotal = P1/Ptotal

Kinetic molecular theory of gasses: Postulates
Grahams law of effusion:
M 2
Rate of effusion for gas 1

M 1
Rate of effusion for gas 2
Chemistry in atmosphere