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Ideal Gas

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TheIdealGasLaw
Skillstodevelop
Explainallthequantitiesinvolvedintheidealgaslaw.
EvaluatethegasconstantRfromexperimentalresults.
CalculateT,V,P,ornoftheidealgaslaw,PV=nRT.
Describetheidealgaslawusinggraphics.

TheIdealGasLaw
Thevolume(V)occupiedbynmolesofanygashasapressure(P)attemperature(T)inKelvin.The
relationshipforthesevariables,
PV=nRT,
whereRisknownasthegasconstant,iscalledtheidealgaslaworequationofstate.Propertiesofthe
gaseousstatepredictedbytheidealgaslawarewithin5%forgasesunderordinaryconditions.Inother
words,givenasetofconditions,wecanpredictorcalculatethepropertiesofagastobewithin5%by
applyingtheidealgaslaw.Howtoapplysuchalawforagivensetofconditionsisthefocusofgeneral
chemistry.
Atatemperaturemuchhigherthanthecriticaltemperatureandatlowpressures,however,theidealgaslaw
isaverygoodmodelforgasbehavior.Whendealingwithgasesatlowtemperatureandathighpressure,
correctionhastobemadeinordertocalculatethepropertiesofagasinindustrialandtechnological
applications.OneofthecommoncorrectionsmadetotheidealgaslawisthevanderWaal'sequation,but
therearealsoothermethodsdealingwiththedeviationofgasfromideality.

TheGasConstantR
Repeatedexperimentsshowthatatstandardtemperature(273K)andpressure(1atmor101325N/m2),
onemole(n=1)ofgasoccupies22.4Lvolume.Usingthisexperimentalvalue,youcanevaluatethegas
constantR,
P V 1 atm 22.4 L
R = --- = -----------n T 1 mol 273 K
= 0.08205 L atm / (molK)

WhenSIunitsaredesirable,P=101325N/m2(Paforpascal)insteadof1atm.Thevolumeis0.0224m3.

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ThenumbericalvalueandunitsforRis
101325 N/m2 0.0224 m3
R = ---------------------1 mol 273 K
= 8.314 J / (molK)

Notethat1Latm=0.001m3x101325N/m2=101.325J(orNm).Sinceenergycanbeexpressedin
manyunits,othernumericalvaluesandunitsforRarefrequentlyinuse.
Foryourinformation,thegasconstantcanbeexpressedinthefollowingvaluesandunits.
R = 0.08205 L atm / molK
= 8.3145 L kPa / molK
= 8.3145
J / molK
= 1.987 cal / molK
= 62.364 L torr/ molK

Notes:
1 atm = 101.32 kPa
1 J = 1 L kPa
1 cal = 4.182 J
1 atm = 760 torr

ThegasconstantRissuchauniversalconstantforallgasesthatitsvaluesareusuallylistedinthe"Physical
Constants"oftextbooksandhandbooks.ItisalsolistedinConstantsofourHandbookMenuattheleft
bottom.AlthoughwetrytouseSIunitsallthetime,theuseofatmforpressureisstillcommon.Thus,we
oftenuseR=8.314J/(molK)or8.3145J/molK.
Thevolumeoccupiedbyonemole,n=1,ofsubstanceiscalledthemolarvolume,Vmolar=V/n.Using
themolarvolumenotation,theidealgaslawis:
PVmolar=RT

ApplicationsoftheIdealGasLaw
Theidealgaslawhasfourparametersandaconstant,R,
PV=nRT,
anditcanberearrangedtogiveanexpressionforeachofP,V,norT.Forexample,
P=nRT/V,(Boyleslaw)
P=(nR/V)T(Charleslaw)
TheseequationsareBoyleslawandCharleslawrespectively.SimilarexpressionscanbederivedforV,n
andTintermsofothervariables.Thus,therearemanyapplications.However,youmustmakesurethat
youusethepropernumericalvalueforthegasconstantRaccordingtotheunitsyouhaveforthe
parameters.
Furthermore,n/Visnumberofmolesperunitvolume,andthisquantityhasthesameunitsasthe
concentration(C).Thus,theconcentrationisafunctionofpressureandtemperature,

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C=P/RT.
At1.0atmpressureandroomtemperatureof298K,theconcentrationofanidealgasis0.041mol/L.
TheAvogadroslawcanbefurtherappliedtocorrelategasdensityd(weightperunitvolumeornM/V)
andmolecularmassMofagas.Thefollowingequationiseasilyderivedfromtheidealgaslaw:
nM
P M = --- R T
V

Thus,wehave
PM=dRT/M
d=nM/Vdefinition,and
d=PM/RT
M=dRT/P
Example1
Anairsamplecontainingonlynitrogenandoxygengaseshasadensityof1.3393g/LatSTP.
Findtheweightandmolepercentagesofnitrogenandoxygeninthesample.
Solution
Fromthedensityd,wecanevaluateanaveragemolecularweight(alsocalledmolarmass).
PM=dRT
M=22.4*d
=22.4L/mol*1.3393g/L
=30.0g/mol
Assumethatwehave1.0molofgas,andxmolofwhichisnitrogen,then(1x)istheamountof
oxygen.Theaveragemolarmassisthemoleweightedaverage,andthus,
28.0x+32.0(1x)=30.0
4x=2
x=0.50molofN2,and1.00.50=0.50molO2
Now,tofindtheweightpercentage,findtheamountsofnitrogenandoxygenin1.0mol(30.0g)of
themixture.
Massof0.5molnitrogen=0.5*28.0=14.0g
Massof0.5moloxygen=0.5*32.0=16.0g
Percentageofnitrogen=100*14.0/30.0=46.7%Percentageofoxygen=100*16.0/30.0
=10046.7=53.3%
Discussion

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Wecanfindthedensityofpurenitrogenandoxygenfirstandevaluatethefractionfromthedensity.
dofN2=28.0/22.4=1.2500g/L
dofO2=32.0/22.4=1.4286g/L
1.2500x+1.4286(1x)=1.3393
Solvingforxgives
x=0.50(sameresultasabove)
Exercise
Now,repeatthecalculationsforamixturewhosedensityis1.400g/L.
Example2
Whatisthedensityofacetone,C3H6O,vaporat1.0atmand400K?
Solution
Themolarmassofacetone=3*12.0+6*1.0+16.0=58.0.Thus,
d=PM/RT
=(1.0*58.0atmg/mol)/(0.08205Latm/(molK)*400K)
=1.767g/L
Exercise
Thedensityofacetoneis1.767g/L,calculateitsmolarmass.

ConfidenceBuildingQuestions
Whatisthevariablenstandforintheidealgaslaw,
PV=nRT?
Hint...

Skill:
Describetheidealgaslaw.
Aclosedsystemmeansnoenergyormassflowintooroutofasystem.Inaclosedsystem,how
manyindependentvariablesarethereamongn,T,VandPforagas?Note:anindependent
variablecanbeofanyarbitraryvalues. Hint...
Skill:
Theidealgasequationshowstheinterdependenceofthevariables.Onlyoneofthemcanbevaried
independently.
Whatisthemolarvolumeofanidealgasat2atmand1000K? Hint...

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Skill:
Evaluatemolarvolumeatanycondition.
Acertainamountofagasisenclosedinacontaineroffixedvolume.Ifyouletheat(energy)
flowintoit,whatwillincrease?
(Inamultiplechoice,youmayhavevolume,pressure,temperature,andanycombinationof
thesetochoosefrom.) Hint...
Skill:
Explainaclosedsystemandapplyidealgaslaw.
Foracertainamount(n=constant)ofgasinaclosedsystem,howdoesvolumeVvarywith
thetemperature?Inthefollowing,kisaconstantdependingonnandP.
a.V=kT
b.V=k/T
c.TV=k
d.V=kT2
e.V=k
Hint...

Skill:
ExplainCharleslaw.
BoyleslawisPV=constant.AsketchofPvsVongraphpaperissimilartoasketchofthe
equationxy=5.Whatcurve(s)doesthisequationrepresent?
a.aparabola
b.anellipse
c.ahyperbola
d.apairofhyperbola
e.astraightline
f.asurface
Hint...

Skill:
ApplytheskillsacquiredinMathcoursestochemicalproblemsolving.
Foracertainamountofgasinaclosedsystem,whichoneofthefollowingequationisvalid?
Subscripts1and2refertospecificconditions1and2respectively.
a.P1V1T1=P2V2T2
b.P1V1T2=P2V2T1

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c.P1V2T1=P2V1T2
d.P2V1T1=P1V2T2
e.P1V2/T1=P2V1/T2
Hint...

Skill:
Rearrangeamathematicalequation.
ThegasconstantRis8.314J/molK.ConvertthenumericalvalueofRsothatitsunitsarecal
/(molK).Aunitconversiontablewilltellyouthat1cal=4.184J.Makesureyouknowwhere
tofindit.Duringtheexam,theconversionfactorisgiven,butyoushouldknowhowtouseit.
Hint...

Skill:
Useconversionfactors,forexample:
1 cal
8.314 J ------- = ? cal
4.184 J

Atstandardtemperatureandpressure,howmanymolesofH2arecontainedina1.0L
container? Hint...
Discussion:
Therearemanymethodsforcalculatingthisvalue.
Atstandardtemperatureandpressure,howmanygramsofCO2iscontainedina3.0L
container?MolarmassofCO2=44. Hint...
Onemethod:
Itcontainsn=1atm*3L/(0.08205Latm/(molK)*273K)
Whatisthepressureif1moleofN2occupy1Lofvolumeat1000K? Hint...
Discussion:
DependingonthenumericalvalueandunitsofRyouuse,youwillgetthepressureinvariousunits.
At1000K,someoftheN2moleculesmaydissociate.Ifthatistrue,thepressurewillbehigher!
Whatisthetemperatureif1moleofN2occupy100Lofvolumehasapressureof20Pa(1Pa
=1Nm2)? Hint...
Discussion:
AtT=240K,idealgaslawmaynotapplytoCO2,becausethisgasliquifiesatratherhigh

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temperature.TheidealgaslawisstillgoodforN2,H2,O2etc,becausethesegasesliquifyatmuch
lowertemperature.
cchieh@uwaterloo.ca

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