GASES

Introduction: handout 1

Substances That Exist As Gases

● Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, and Chlorine exist as gaseous diatomic molecules.
● Group 8A, the noble gases are all monoatomic.
● Gases will mix evenly and completely
● Gases have lower densities than solids and liquids

Pressure of a gas
● units are derived based on velocity, acceleration and force
● Velocity is the change in distance with elapsed time; SI units: m/s but we also use cm/s
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑
Velocity = 𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
● Acceleration is the change in velocity with time; measured in m/s2 (or cm/s)
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
Acceleration = 𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
● Force is mass multiplied with acceleration; 1N = 1 kg m/s2
Force = mass x acceleration
● Pressure is force applied per unit area; 1 Pa = 1 N/m2
𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
Pressure = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
● Atmospheric Pressure: is the pressure exerted by Earth’s atmosphere; depends on location,
temperature and weather conditions
o Standard atmospheric pressure = 1 atm = 760 mmHg = 760 torr = 101,325 Pa

CONVERSIONS:
Example 1: The pressure outside a jet plane flying at high altitude falls considerably below standard
atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the air inside the cabin must be pressurized to protect the passengers.
What is the pressure in “atmospheres (atm)” if the barometer reading is 688 mmHg?

Practice 1: Convert 749 mmHg to Pa

Example 2: The atmospheric pressure in San Francisco on a certain day was 732 mmHg. What was the
pressure in kPa?

Practice 2: Convert 295 mmHg to Pa

 GAS LAWS
Gases: handout 2

BOYLE’s LAW: Pressure-Volume Relationship

“The volume of a fixed amount of gas maintained at constant temperature is inversely proportional to the
gas pressure.”
PV = k1

Refer to figure on the right: 🡪

(a) The pressure exerted on the gas by the

mercury added to the tube is equal to
atmospheric pressure
(b) Addition of more mercury results to an
increase in pressure and a decrease in gas
volume

1 1
𝑉∝ 𝑃
; 𝑉 = 𝑘1 𝑥 𝑃

k1 = proportionality constant

PV = k1 🡪 P1V1 = k1 and P2V2 = k1 🡪 P1V1 = P2V2

Example 1: An inflated balloon has a volume of 0.55L at sea level (1.0 atm) and is allowed to rise to a
height of 6.5 km, where the pressure is about 0.40 atm. Assuming that temperature remains constant,
what is the final volume of the balloon?
P1V1 = P2V2
INITIAL CONDITION FINAL CONDITION
P1 = 1.0 atm P2 = 0.40 atm
V1 = 0.55 L V2 = ?

Practice 1: A sample of chlorine 1gas occupies a volume of 946 mL at a pressure of 726 mmHg.
Calculate the pressure of the gas (in mmHg) if the volume is reduced at constant temperature to 154
mL.