Physics 73.

1st Semester

Name:

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Experiment Date:
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Prelab: Gas Laws

Read the manual then answer the following items:
1. In the Boyles law experiment, how do you ensure that the temperature of the gas
is kept constant?

2. How do you calculate the number of particles from the equation of the best-fit line
when the experimental set-up is maintained at
(a) constant temperature?

(b) constant pressure?

3. How do you calculate the volume of the air chamber can from the equation of the
best-fit line when the experimental set-up is maintained at
(a) constant temperature?

(b) constant pressure?

Prelab: Gas Laws

P1

EXPERIMENT
Gas Laws

Objectives
At the end of the activity, the student should be able to:
determine the relationship between thermodynamic state variables (pressure, volume and temperature) for an ideal gas.
calculate the number of particles in a gas using the ideal gas equation.

Introduction
If a gas sample that has low density is compressed under constant temperature, its pressure increases. On the other hand, if such a gas expands under constant temperature,
then its pressure decreases. Robert Boyle was the one who experimentally discovered that
for a gas with low density and at constant temperature, the product of its pressure and
volume is constant. Jacques Charles and Joseph Gay-Lussac also obtained experimental
results that show the relationship among the pressure, volume and temperature of a gas.
In this experiment, you will verify the results of Boyle and Charles, and use the ideal
gas equation to compute for the number of particles of a gas in an air chamber can.

Theory
Ideal gas model
The ideal gas model is used to describe the behavior of dilute gases at low pressures and
high temperatures. Many gases e.g. nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, can be considered to
be ideal gases at room temperature and pressures close to 1 atm. Using this assumption,
the relationship among several properties of gases can be described using the three gas
laws, which were discovered experimentally: Boyles law, Charless law and Gay-Lussacs
Law. The equation of state for an ideal gas is
P V = N kT

(1)

where P is the pressure, V is the volume and N is the number of particles. If we have n
moles of the gas, then we have
N = nNA
(2)
Gas Laws

1st Semester

Physics 73.1

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

where NA is Avogadros number, NA = 6.022 1023 mol1 . Furthermore, T is the

temperature of the gas measured in the absolute or Kelvin scale. The temperature is
converted from Celsius to Kelvin scales using the equation
TK = TC + 273.15

(3)

where TK and TC are the numerical values of the temperature in Kelvin and Celsius
scales, respectively. The constant k in the ideal gas equation is called the Boltzmann
constant and has the value
k = 1.3806488 1023 m2 kg s2 K1 .

(4)

Boyles Law
Robert Boyle in 1662 discovered that close to room temperature and at about 1 atm, the
pressure and volume of gases are inversely proportional to each other. This relationship
became known as Boyles Law and from the ideal gas equation Eq.(1), we can write this
law as
1
P
where the proportionality constant CB is N kT .
V = CB

(5)

Charless Law
Jacques Charles in 1780 discovered that close to room temperature and at about 1 atm,
the volume and temperature of gases are directly proportional to each other. Known
today as Charless Law, this relationship can be expressed using the ideal gas equation
Eq.(1) as
V = CC T

(6)

where the proportionality constant CC is N k/P .

Materials
The following materials are required for the experiment:
Pasco mass lifter apparatus
Air chamber can with rubber tubing
Vernier LabQuest with stainless steel temperature probe and gas pressure sensor
Ice cubes
Cauldron
Stove
Gas Laws

Physics 73.1

1st Semester

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Procedure
CAUTION:
Take extreme care when handling the expensive mass lifter apparatus. Make sure
that it is on a stable surface, its tubing is safe from heat and the screw is not locked
too tightly.

Set-up: Boyles Law

1. Pour boiling water from the electric kettle into the cauldron until it is 3/4 full.
Keep the water boiling on the cauldron throughout using the electric stove. This
will serve as the hot bath.
2. Lift the piston to its maximum height.
3. Connect the air chamber can to the mass lifter apparatus via the rubber tubing.
Do not use excessive force during the connection. Immerse the air chamber can in
the hot bath.
4. Connect the gas pressure sensor and stainless steel temperature probe to the Vernier
LabQuest. Once the two sensors are detected, the LabQuest will automatically
display both the pressure and temperature readings.
5. Fill in Table W1 with the specifications of the mass lifter apparatus.
6. Place the temperature probe near the air chamber can to monitor the temperature
T throughout the experiment and record this in Table W2.

Measurement: Boyles Law

1. Record the initial height h of the piston and the pressure P in Table W2.
2. Place a 50 g standard mass on the platform of the mass lifter apparatus then record
the height h of the piston and the pressure P in Table W2.
3. Repeat the previous step for masses of 100 g, 150 g, 200 g, and 250 g. You should
have 6 measurements in Table W2.

Calculation and analysis: Boyles Law

1. Compute the volume of the cylinder Vcyl for each height then record it in Table W2.
Note that the volume V of air is the sum of the volume of air in the cylinder and
in the chamber (Vcham ): V = Vcyl + Vcham . Take Vcham = 1 104 m3 .
2. Compute the reciprocal of each pressure reading, P 1 and record in Table W2.
3. Plot Vcyl vs. P 1 in Figure W1. Add a linear fit to this plot, showing its best-fit
equation and R2 value.
Gas Laws

Physics 73.1

1st Semester

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

4. Calculate the number of particles N and the volume of the air chamber can Vcham
from the slope and y-intercept, respectively. Complete Table W3.

Set-up: Charless Law

1. Turn off the electric stove. Keep the air chamber can immersed in the hot bath.
2. Disconnect the gas pressure sensor then lift the piston to its maximum height.
Reconnect the gas pressure sensor.
3. Monitor the pressure P throughout the experiment and record this in Table W4.

Measurement: Charless Law

1. Place the temperature probe near the air chamber can to measure the temperature
T of the hot bath. Record the initial height h of the piston and the temperature T
in Table W2.
2. Every 45 seconds, add 2 ice cubes to the hot bath, stirring the mixture then obtain
h and T measurements and record in Table W4. You should have six measurements.

Calculation and analysis: Charless Law

1. Plot Vcyl vs. T in Figure W2. Add a linear fit to this plot, showing its best-fit
equation and R2 value.
2. Calculate the number of particles N and the volume of the air chamber can Vcham
from the slope and y-intercept, respectively. Complete Table W5.

Bibliography
Paul A. Tipler and Gene Mosca. Physics for Scientists and Engineers - With Modern
Physics, Chapter 17, Sixth Edition, W.H. Freeman and Company, England, 2008.

Gas Laws

1st Semester

Physics 73.1
Group Members:

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Date Performed:
Date Submitted:

Section:

Score:

Instructor:

Data Sheet
Table W1: Set-up specifications
Diameter of the piston (m)

Table W2: Data for Boyles Law

h (m) P (Pa) Vcyl (m3 )

P 1 (Pa1 )

Table W3: Analysis for Boyles Law

Slope
y-intercept
R2 value
N
Vcham

Temperature (K):

Table W4: Data for Charless Law

h (m)

T (K)

Vcyl (m3 )

Table W5: Analysis for Boyles Law

Slope
y-intercept
R2 value
N
Vcham

Pressure (Pa):

Worksheet: Gas Laws

W1

Physics 73.1

1st Semester

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Figure W1: Volume vs. inverse pressure Figure W2: Volume vs. temperature graph
graph for the Boyles Law experiment
for the Charless Law experiment

Questions
1. In the linear fitting, what do the values of R2 imply about the relationship between
(a) pressure and volume in Boyles law experiment?

(b) volume and temperature in Charless law experiment?

2. If a mass is placed on top of the platform, what will happen to the slope and
y-intercept of the best-fit line for the Charless law experiment?

Worksheet: Gas Laws

W2