MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DJJ2073 – THERMODYNAMICS (LABSHEET)

THERMODYNAMICS LABORATORY

TITLE : GAY-LUSSAC'S LAW (ISOMETRIC PROCESS)

CLO : Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: -

1. Apply the fundamentals of thermodynamics to solve related
problems.
2. Organize appropriately experiments in groups according to the
Standard Operating Procedures.
3. Demonstrate ability to work in team to complete assigned tasks.

OBJECTIVE : At the end of the learning process:

1. Students are able to explain the concept of the First Law of
Thermodynamics, namely the relationship between pressure and
volume
2. Students are able to analyze and discuss the results from
experiments

INTRODUCTION / BASIC THEORY:

Gay-Lussac's Law
When the temperature of a sample of gas in a rigid container is increased, the pressure of
the gas increases as well. The increase in kinetic energy results in the molecules of gas
striking the walls of the container with more force, resulting in a greater pressure. The
French chemist Joseph Gay-Lussac (1778-1850) discovered the relationship between the
pressure of a gas and its absolute temperature. Gay-Lussac’s law states that the pressure of
a given mass of gas varies directly with the absolute temperature of the gas, when the
volume is kept constant. Gay-Lussac’s law is very similar to Charles’s law, with the only
difference being the type of container. Whereas the container in a Charles’s law experiment
is flexible, it is rigid in a Gay-Lussac’s law experiment.

The mathematical expressions for Gay-Lussac’s law are likewise similar to those of Charles’s
law:

PT = k and P1 = P2
T1 T2
 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DJJ2073 – THERMODYNAMICS (LABSHEET)

A graph of pressure vs. temperature also illustrates a direct relationship. As a gas is cooled
at constant volume its pressure continually decreases until the gas condenses to a liquid

Figure 1: Pressure Temperature diagram

Figure 2: Heating gas in a confined space increases pressure

Take the example of gas in a sealed cylinder but with a constant volume. If heat is applied,
the rise in pressure in the cylinder is directly proportional to the rise in absolute
temperature (figure 2).
 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DJJ2073 – THERMODYNAMICS (LABSHEET)

APPARATUS / MATERIALS / TOOL /EQUIPMENT

1. Pressure gauge
2. Thermometer with probe
3. Water container
4. Air chamber (Thermal can)
5. Heather
6. PU hose Tube outside diameter 6 mm
7. Clamp

SAFETY

Wear proper clothing and personal protective equipment during laboratory session.

PROCEDURES:

1. Connect the plastic tube to the air chamber (thermal can) and pressure gauge
2. Place the thermal can in to the water container
3. Heat the water in the water container
4. Record the readings of pressure and temperature

RESULT, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Pressure (Bar) Temperature (K)

1. Plot graph pressure vs temperature

2. Based on the graph, discuss the results of experiments and relate it to Gay-Lussac Law
3. Discuss and give 2 examples of equipment that works based on Gay-Lussac Law
 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DJJ2073 – THERMODYNAMICS (LABSHEET)

CONCLUSION

Make conclusions based on objective tests and observations made and relate it to the real
situation

REFERENCES

1. Yunus A. Cengel, Michael A. Boles (1998) Thermodynamics: An Engineering

Approach. McGraw Hill
2. T. D Eastop, & McConkey. (2006), Applied Thermodynamics for Engineering
Technologist, 5th Edition, Pearson & Prentice Hall, Singapore.
3. Sonntag, R. E.,Borgnakke, C., and Van Wylen, G. J., 2003. Fundamentals of
Thermodynamics, 6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
4. John P. O’Connell, J.M. Haile (2005) Thermodynamics:Fundamentals Of Applications,
Cambridge University Press.
5. Myron Kaufman (2002) Principles of Thermodynamics, Marcel Dekker, INC

Prepared By : Verified by :

……………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………
(Signature & Stamp) (Signature & Stamp)
Course Coordinator/Lecture Program Leader / Head of Department
Date: Date :