Unit 10: Gas Laws  

Lesson 10.3 
Charles’s Law 
 
Contents 
Introduction 1 

Learning Objectives 2 

Warm Up 2 

Learn about It! 3 

Volume-Temperature Relationship in Gases 3 
Calculations Involving Charles’s Law 6 

Key Points 11 

Key Formula 11 

Check Your Understanding 12 

Challenge Yourself 13 

Bibliography 14 

Key to Try It! 14 

 
   

 
  
Unit 10: Gas Laws  
Lesson 10.3 

Charles’s Law 
 

 
 

  Introduction 
In  the  previous  lesson,  you  have  learned  that  increasing  the  pressure  of  gas  reduces  its 
volume  at  constant  temperatures.  What  if  you  made  the  temperature  and  the  pressure 
change?  As  with  other  properties  of  gases,  the  temperature  will also change depending on 
how  other  properties  change.  Have  you  ever  wondered  how  hot-air  balloons  and  floating 
lanterns  float  in  the  air  just  by  using  open  flames?  This  is  due to the heat that changes the 
volume  of  air  trapped  inside  the  balloons.  In  this  lesson,  you  will  be  looking  at  how  the 
temperature of gases affects their volume. 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
 

Learning Objectives  DepEd Competencies 

 
In this lesson, you should be able to do the  ● Express the gas laws in equation 
form (STEM_GC11G-Ih-i-44). 
following: 
● Use the gas laws to determine 
● Qualitatively  relate  the  volume  to  the  pressure, volume, or temperature 
temperature of gases.  of a gas under certain conditions 
● Construct  the  mathematical  relation  of change (STEM_GC11G-Ih-i-45).   

of  the  volume  and  temperature  of 

 

gases. 
● Apply  Charles's  law  to  practical 
problems. 
 

  Warm Up   

  Expansion and Contraction      10 minutes 

Gas  molecules  tend  to  change  their  activity  depending  on  the  temperature.  When  gas 
molecules  are  subjected  to  high  temperatures,  they  tend  to  move  more.  What  will  be  the 
consequence  of  this  on  the  physical  property  of  gases?  In  this  activity,  you  will  see  how 
changes in temperature affect the volume of gases. 
  

Materials 
● balloon 
● hotplate 
● pot with water 
● ice 

 
Procedure 
1. Fill the balloon with air. Make sure that the balloon will fit in the pot. 
2. Measure the diameter of the balloon. Record your measurement in Table 10.3.1. 
3. Heat water to boil. 
 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
4. Place the balloon on the boiling water.  
5. Wait until the balloon expands and then remove it from the water.  
6. Turn off the hotplate after. 
7. Measure the diameter of the balloon. Record your measurement in Table 10.3.1. 
8. Cool the balloon in ice. 
9. Wait until the balloon shrinks and then remove it from ice. 
10. Measure the diameter of the balloon. Record your measurement in Table 10.3.1. 
 
Data Table 
Table 10.3.1. The diameter of the balloon after exposure to different temperatures  

Balloon  Measurement 

Before heating   

After heating with water   

After cooling with ice   

 
Guide Questions 
1. What happened to the diameter of the balloon after heating? After cooling? 
2. Would the diameter of the balloon change if you let it cool naturally in the air? 
3. Based on your observations, what happens to the volume of the gas when you 
increase its temperature? How about when you decrease it?  
 

  Learn about It! 

Volume-Temperature Relationship in Gases 
 

How does the volume of a gas change with respect 

  to its temperature? 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
You  have  learned  before  that  the  temperature  of  a  gas  defines its average kinetic energy. If 
you  increase  the  temperature  of  a  gas,  you  are  giving  it  more  kinetic energy. When heating 
the  balloon,  you  must  have  observed  that  the  diameter  of  the  balloon  increases,  thereby 
increasing  its  volume  and  the  space  it  occupies.  Similarly,  exposing  the  balloon  to  lower 
temperatures  decreases  its  diameter.  Since  the  gas  dictates  the size of the balloon inside it, 
you  can  say  that  gases  expand  in  higher  temperatures  and contract at lower temperatures. 
This relationship is called Charles’s law, discovered by the French physicist, Jacques Charles, 
in 1787. 
 
This  law  can  be  mathematically  described  by  stating  that  the  volume  of  a  gas  is  directly 
proportional  to  its  temperature  at  constant  pressure  and  amount  of  gas.  This 
proportionality  is  expressed  in  Equation  10.3.1.  You  can  then  describe  the  effect  of 
temperature in the volume of gases: 
 
1. The volume of a gas increases as its temperature increases. 
2. The volume of a gas decreases as its temperature decreases. 
 
These statements hold if the pressure and the amount of gas are kept constant. 
 

  Equation 10.3.1 

 
To  fully  utilize  Equation  10.3.1  mathematically,  you  need  to  convert  the  proportionality 
symbol  to  an  equal  sign.  To  do  this,  simply  multiply  T by a proportionality constant that can 
arbitrarily  be  called  k.  By  isolating  k, you can obtain Equation 10.2.2. This equation tells you 
that  the  quotient  when V is divided by T is always k. IAlso, the value of k only depends on the 
amount  of  gas  and  the  pressure  of  the  system.  The  constant  is  not  affected  by  the  identity 
of the gas. 
 

Equation 10.3.2 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Suppose  you  have  a  fixed  amount  of  gas  at constant pressure with an initial volume, Vi, and 
initial  temperature  Ti.  If  we  change  the  temperature  either  by  heating  or  cooling  to  a  final 
temperature,  Tf,  the  gas  will  respond  either by expanding or shrinking to a final volume of Vf 
such  that  the  quotient  of  Vi/Ti  is  equal  to  the  quotient  of  Vf/Tf.  The  values  of  both  quotients 
are  equal  to  the  proportionality  constant,  k.  This  is  mathematically  expressed,  as  shown  in 
Equation 10.3.3. 
 

Equation 10.3.3 
 

 
A  general  graph  of  this  equation  is  shown  in  Figure  10.3.1.  This  graph  is  called  a  T-V 
diagram.  It  represents  the  changes  in  volume  with  respect  to  temperature,  provided  that 
the other parameters are kept constant. 
 

 
Figure 10.3.1. The V-T diagram for a gas when the amount of gas and pressure are 
constant.  
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
Calculations Involving Charles’s Law 
Performing  calculations  involving  Charles’s  law  is  fairly  simple.  All  you  need  are  Equation 
10.3.2  and  Equation  10.3.3,  and  you  will  be  able  to  determine  the  changes  in temperature 
and  volume  of  gases  at  a  constant  amount  of  gas and pressure. A direct substitution would 
often  solve  most  problems,  although  you  may  have  to  perform  the conversion of units. It is 
important  to  convert  temperature  units  to  K  before  performing  calculations.  The 
proportionality  only  works  for  temperature  values  in  the  Kelvin  unit.  This  will  prevent 
instances  where  the  denominator  of  fractions  becomes  zero.  The  initial  and  final  units  in 
Charles’s  law  should  be  the  same.  Otherwise,  you  will  only  perform erroneous calculations. 
Try following the steps in the examples below. 
 

Remember 
For  Charles’s law calculation, the temperature needs to be in Kelvins 
(K). 

  Let's Practice!  
Example 1    
A gas occupies 0.500 L of volume at 298 K. Calculate its new volume (in L) at 500 K? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to calculate the final volume. 
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The volume and the temperature of the gas are given. 

  

 
 
 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 3: Write Charles’s law equation. 

 
 
Step 4: Rearrange to isolate the final volume. 

 
 
Step 5: Substitute the given values. 

 
 
Step 6: Solve for Vf. 

 
 
The final volume of the gas is 0.839 L. 
 

1  Try It!  
Calculate  the  volume  of  the  gas  (in  L) if it heats from 250 K with a volume of 1.00 L to 
425 K. 

 
Example 2  
A 1.75-L balloon at 30 ºC was heated to 60 ºC. What is its volume in L after heating? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to compute for the final volume. 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The initial volume, initial temperature, and final temperature are given.  

 
 
Step 3: Write Charles’s law equation. 

 
 
Step 4: Rearrange to isolate the final volume. 

 
 
Step 5: Substitute the given values. 

 
 
Step 6: Solve for Vf. 

 
 
The final volume of the gas after heating is 1.92 L. 
 

2  Try It!  
To  what  temperature  (in  K)  should  a  gas  be  heated  if  it  needs  to  expand  to  10.00  L 
from 3.00 L at 24.85 ºC? 

 
 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Example 3  
What will be the final volume of a gas in mL if 500 mL of the gas at 30 ºC was heated to a 
final temperature of 450 K? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to compute for the final volume. 
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The initial temperature, initial volume, and final temperature are given. 

 
 
Step 3: Convert Ti to K units. 

 
 
Step 4: Write Charles’s law equation. 

 
 
Step 5: Rearrange to isolate the final volume. 

 
 
Step 6: Substitute the given values. 

 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 7: Solve for Vf. 

 
 
Therefore, the gas will have a final volume of 742mL. 
 

3  Try It!  
A  gas  in  an  isolated  chamber  has  a  volume  of  250  mL  at  30  ºC.  What  will  its  volume 
be in mL when it is cooled to 150 K? 

 
 

Will Charles’s law apply even at extremely low 

  temperatures?  
 
 

Did You Know? 

 
Joseph  Louis  Gay-Lussac 
independently  published  about 
Charles’s  law  in  1802,  further 
confirming  the  law.  He  also 
formulated  another  simple  gas  law 
relating  to  the  pressure  and 
temperature of gases. 

 
 
 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  

Key Points 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
● Charles’s law states that the volume of the gas is directly proportional to its 
temperature at constant pressure and amount of gas. It can also be stated in one of 
two ways: 
○ As the temperature of the gas increases, its volume increases. 
○ As the temperature of the gas decreases, its volume decreases. 
● Temperature units using Charles’s law should always be expressed in Kelvins (K). 
_________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 
Key Formula 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 

Concept  Formula  Description 

Charles’s Law  Use this formula to solve 

  any of the four variables 
when the other three are 
 
given. 
where: 
● Vi is the initial volume of 
the gas 
● Ti is the initial temperature 
of the gas 
● Vf is the final volume of the 
gas 
● Tf is the final temperature 
of the gas 

 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  

  Check Your Understanding 

 

A. Write  true  if  the  statement  is  correct.  Otherwise,  write 

false. 
 

___________________________ 1.   Gases  will  expand  upon  heating  according  to 

Charles’s law. 

___________________________ 2.  The  temperature  of  gases will decrease if transferred 

to a container of larger volume. 

___________________________ 3.   Charles’s law will apply if a gas is transferred from 

atmospheric pressure to a vacuum. 

___________________________ 4.   Charles’s  law will not apply if there is an inert mixture 

of gases. 

___________________________ 5.   Charles’s law will only apply if the pressure and the 
amount of gas in a system are constant. 

B. Solve  the  problems  given  below.  Round  off  your  answers  to three 
 
significant figures. 

1. A gas occupies 1.00 L of volume at 40 ºC. What will its final volume be when cooled to 
0 ºC? 
2. Calculate the final temperature of a gas occupying a volume of 125 mL at 50 ºC when 
it expands to a volume of 500 mL. 
3. A 20-L tank of gas is initially at 20 ºC. What will be the temperature of the gas when it 
compresses to 10.0 L? 
4. Compute the initial temperature of a gas at a 50-mL container with a temperature of 
10 ºC if it is initially stored in a 1-L steel chamber with constant pressure. 
5. What is the initial volume of a 2.50 L gas if it is cooled from 30 ºC to 15 ºC? 
6. What should be the final volume of nitrogen gas occupying 50.0 L at 325 K if it is 
heated to 600 K to maintain constant pressure? 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
7. An air mixture with a volume of 3.00 L was cooled from 600 K to 298 K. What will be 
its final volume? 
8. Calculate the initial volume of a gas if cooling the gas from 350 K to 225 K reduces its 
volume to 40.5 cm3. 
9. A flask of CO2 occupying a volume of 300 cm3 initially at -25 ºC was brought to a 
temperature of 25 ºC. What will the final volume of the gas be? 
10. If a gas in a 5.00-L container has an initial temperature of 25 ºC, determine its final 
temperature if it was transferred to an 8.00-L container at constant pressure. 
11. Calculate the initial temperature of a gas if it expanded from 1.00 L to 1.25 L at 32 ºC. 
12. Compute the volume of an inflated balloon if it originally occupies 5.00 L at 40 ºC the 
air inside was heated to 150 ºC. 
13. A sample of argon gas was initially occupying 300 cm3. Calculate its initial 
temperature if it was heated to 100 ºC and expanded to 1, 000 cm3. 
14. A 40.00 L nitrogen sample was stored at -4 ºC. Calculate its final volume if it was 
transferred to a temperature of -20 ºC. 
15. If a gas at 301.15 K occupies a volume of 750 mL, find its volume when heated to 
420.80 K. 
 

  Challenge Yourself 
 

Answer the following questions.    

1. How would the volume of a gas change if its temperature was doubled? 
2. How would the temperature change if the gas was transferred to a container half of 
its original volume? 
3. By  how  much  should  a 1.00-L container be compressed if the temperature of the gas 
needs to be reduced from 298.15 K atm to 273.15 K? 
4. Calculate  the  new  volume  of  a  5.00  L  gas  if  its  temperature  increases  from  25  ºC  to 
500 K. 
5. A  sample  of  unknown  gas  condenses  at  4  ºC  at  1  atm  and  occupies  a  volume of 100 
mL  at  50  ºC.  Would  the  gas  condense  if  its  volume  was  reduced  to  85  mL  and  the 
pressure kept constant? 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  

 Bibliography 
Brown, Theodore L. 2004. Chemistry: The Central Science (11th ed). Singapore: Pearson 
Education (Asia) Pte Ltd. 
 
 
Chang, Raymond. 2010. Chemistry (10th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. 
 
Petrucci, Ralph H. 2011. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. Toronto, Ont.: 
Pearson Canada. 
 
Silberberg, Martin S. 2009. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change (5th ed). 
New York: McGraw-Hill. 
 
Whitten, Kenneth W. 2013. Chemistry (10th ed). Boston: Cengage Learning. 
 

  Key to Try It! 

1. 1.7 L 
2. 993 K 
3. 124 mL

 
10.3. Charles’s Law    14