Brandon Gines Background/Theory The ideal gas law states that gases are a physical state of matter in which

the distances between molecules or atoms are very large, the atoms or molecules are in constant random motion, and the physical or chemical interactions between the atoms or molecules is zero. Gases will fill the shape of their container and pressure is created by the force of the constituents striking the walls of the container. For an ideal gas: PV=nRT (1)

Where the pressure, P, times the volume of the gas, V, is equal to the number of molecules present, n, times the gas law constant, R, multiplied by the temperature of the gas, T. Rearranging eqn. 1, the number of gas molecules present can be calculated in the following way: n=PV/RT (2)

This equation shows that the ratio of the pressure times volume to the gas law constant times temperature is equal to the number of gas molecules. By measuring P, V, and T, we can calculate n since R is constant. The mass of the gas can then be used to calculate the molar mass of the gas from the ratio of n to the mass of gas.