Ideal Gas Laws Simulation Lesson Plan

Content Standards : By performing this simulation students will understand ideal gas
laws. They will derive the ideal gas law from the Boyles law and the Charles Law. This
will help them understand the motion of atoms and molecules in the gases. They will
understand the relationship between the pressure, volume, and temperature for an ideal
gas. And they will be able to use this relationship in solving numerical problems related
to ideal gas laws.
Objectives: To enable the students to understand the ideal gas laws.
Prior Knowledge: The students will have the prior knowledge about pressure, volume
and temperature their measurement and units. The students know that in the gases the
molecules have kinetic properties.
Teacher Demonstration through hands on activity:
Boyles Law: The teacher will demonstrate the Boyles activity using a hospital syringe
(without the needle) and the marsh mallow(activity in the hands on Physics Activities, by
James Cunningham & Norman Herr). When the piston of the syringe is moved inwards
the marsh mallow contracts and when the piston of the syringe is moved outwards the
marsh mallow expands. Boyles Law is a relationship between pressure and volume. At
the constant temperature for an ideal gas, there is inverse relationship between the
Pressure and the Volume.
Instructions :
1. In the simulation, click on the temperature radio button to keep it constant.
2. Set the number of mole of He gas by moving the slider to right.
3. To see the graph click on the drop down menu under the Pause Reset button and
set to Relations.
4. The graph image will appear at the bottom. On the x-axis of the graph choose the
pressure and on the y-axis of the graph choose the volume.
5. Now start increasing the Pressure by 1 atmosphere and note down the readings of
the volume.
6. As the pressure is increased the volume will decrease.

Charles Law: The teacher will demonstrate the Charles activity using a conical flask,
balloon and a heating source. The balloon will be fixed on the top of the conical flask and
heated. Slowly and slowly the balloon will expand as the heat is increased. When the
conical flask is removed from the heating source, the balloon contracts slowly. Charles
Law is a relationship between temperature and volume. At constant pressure for an ideal
gas there is a direct relationship between the temperature and the volume of the gas.
Instructions :
7. In the simulation, click on the pressure radio button to keep it constant.
8. Set the number of mole of He gas by moving the slider to right.
9. To see the graph click on the drop down menu under the Pause Reset button and
set to Relations.
10. The graph image will appear at the bottom. On the x-axis of the graph choose the
temperature and on the y-axis of the graph choose the volume.
11. Now start increasing the temperature by 1K and note down the readings of the
volume.
12. As the temperature is increased the volume will also increase.

Gas :
Temperature :
Number of moles:
S No

Pressure

Volume

1
2
3
Draw a linear graph with pressure on X axis and volume on Y axis
Repeat the same experiment for the other gas.
Q What conclusions can you draw from the two experiments using different gases about
the relationship between volume and the pressure of an ideal gas?

Charles Law

S No

Temperature

Volume

1
2
3
..
Draw a linear graph with temperature on X axis and volume on Y axis
Repeat the same experiment for the other gas.
Q What conclusions can you draw from the two experiments about the relationship
between volume and the temperature of an ideal gas?
Answer the Following questions about the ideal gas law
Q What relationship has been derived between volume and pressure with the Boyles Law
experiment?
Q What relationship has been derived between volume and temperature with the Charles
Law experiment?
Q What relationship comes in to light from the two gas laws?
Q Using the ideal gas law equation solve the following numeric problems:
1. Calculate the temperature in degrees Kelvin of an ideal gas, is a 0.5 mole sample
occupied a volume of 10 liters at a pressure of 5 atm.
2. Calculate the pressure in atm of an ideal gas, if 1 mole sample occupied a volume of
1.5 liters at a temperature of -170 C.