Pressure

and
Temperature

William Thomson
“Lord Kelvin”
 CA Standards

Students know the values and meanings of

standard temperature and pressure (STP).

Students know how to convert between the

Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales.

Students know there is no temperature

lower than 0 Kelvin.
Measuring Pressure

The first device for

measuring atmospheric
pressure was developed by
Evangelista Torricelli
during the 17th century.

The device was called a

“barometer”
Baro = weight
Meter = measure
 An Early
Barometer
The normal pressure due
to the atmosphere at
sea level can support a
column of mercury that
is 760 mm high.
 Pressure
Is caused by the collisions of
molecules with the walls of a
container
is equal to force/unit area
 Standard Pressure

 1 standard atmosphere (atm)

 101.3 kPa (kilopascals)
 14.7 lbs/in2
 760 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury)
 760 torr
 Pressure
Pressure is the force created by the collisions
of molecules with the walls of a container
Unit Symbol Definition/Relationship
Pascal Pa SI pressure unit
1 Pa = 1 newton/meter2
Millimeter of mm Hg Pressure that supports a 1 mm
mercury column of mercury in a
barometer
Atmosphere atm Average atmospheric pressure
at sea level and 0 C
Torr torr 1 torr = 1 mm Hg
The Kelvin Scale
 Standard Temperature

Standard Temperature equals:

 273 Kelvin (273 K)
 0 C
 Converting Celsius to Kelvin
Gas law problems involving temperature
require that the temperature be in
KELVINS!

Kelvins = C + 273

°C = Kelvins - 273
Either
Either of
of these:
these:
 273
 273 Kelvin
Kelvin (273
(273 K)
K)
 00 C
 C

Standard
And
And any
any one
one ofof these:
these: Temperature and
 11 atm
 atm Pressure
 101.3
 101.3 kPa
kPa “STP”
 14.7
 14.7 lbs/in (psi)
lbs/in 22
(psi)
 760
 760 mm
mm HgHg
 760
 760 torr
torr