Example Gas Law Questions

Q1

240cm3 of air at a pressure of 100kPa in a bicycle pump is compressed to a volume of 150cm3.

What is the pressure of the compressed air in the pump?

p1 x V1 = p2 x V2 , rearranging to scale up for the new higher pressure

p2 = p1 x V1/V2 = 100 x 240/150 = 160 kPa

Q2

10 m3 of butane gas at 1.2 atm was required to be stored at 6 atm pressure. To what volume must
the gas be compressed to give the required storage pressure?

p1 x V1 = p2 x V2 , rearranging to scale down for the new lower volume

V2 = p1 x V1/p2 = 1.2 x 10/6 = 2.0 m3

Q3

A 100 cm3 gas syringe containing 80 cm3 of gas that was compressed to 60 cm3. If atmospheric
pressure is 101325 Pa, and the temperature remains constant, what is the pressure of the gas in the
syringe after compression.

p x V = constant

p1 x V1 = p2 x V2

p2 = p1 x V1/V2

p2 = 101325 x 80/60 = 135100 Pa

Q4

In hospital the gas pressure in a 100 dm3 cylinder of oxygen is 5.52 atm (5 x atmospheric pressure).
What volume of gas can be released slowly to a patient on releasing it to an atmospheric pressure
1.01?

p x V = constant

V2 = p1 x V1/p2
V2 = p1 x V1/p2 = 5.52 x 100/1.01 = 546.5 dm3

Q5

The pressure exerted by a gas in sealed container is 100kPa at 17oC. It was found that the container
might leak if the internal pressure exceeds 120kPa. Assuming constant volume, at what temperature
in oC will the container start to leak?

17oC + 273 = 290K

p1/T1 = p2/T2

rearranging to scale up to the higher temperature

T2 = T1 x p2/p1

T2 = 290 x 120/100 = 348 K or 348 – 273 = 75oC when the container might leak

Q6

A cylinder of propane gas at 20oC exerted a pressure of 8.5 atmospheres. When exposed to sunlight
it warmed up to 28oC. What pressure does the container side now experience?

20oC = 273 + 20 = 293K, 28oC = 273 + 28 = 301K

p2 = p1 x T2/T1

p2 = 8.5 x 301/293 = 8.73 atm

Q7

25 cm3 of a gas at 1.01 atm. at 25oC was compressed to 15 cm3 at 35oC.

Calculate the final pressure of the gas.

p1 = 1.01 atm, p2 = ?, V1 = 25 cm3, V2 = 15 cm3,

T1 = 25 + 273 = 298 K, T2 = 35 + 273 = 308 K

(p1 x V1)/T1 = (p2 x V2)/T2

p2 = (p1 x V1 x T2)/(V2 x T1)

p2 = (1.01 x 25 x 308)/(15 x 298) = 1.74 atm

Q8

12.0 dm3 of gas in a cylinder and piston system is heated from 290 K to 340 K. If the pressure
remains constant, calculate the final volume of gas in the cylinder.

V/T = constant

V1/V2 = T1/T2

V1 x T2 = V2 x T1

V2 = V1 x T2/T1

V2 = 12 x 340/290 = 14.1 dm3

Q9

The fuel and air gases in the cylinders of a 1200 cm3 car engine go from 25oC before combustion and
rise to a peak temperature of 2100oC after combustion. If normal atmospheric pressure is 101kPa,
calculate the peak pressure reached after combustion. Although the movement of the piston
changes the volume, (i) for the sake of argument assume the volume is constant.

T1 = 25 + 273 = 298 K, T2 = 2100 + 273 = 2373 K, P1 = 101 KPa

p/T = constant

p1/p2 = T1/T2

p2 = p1 x T2/T1

p2 = 101 x 2373/298 = 804 kPa

(ii) To be more realistic, assume the initial volume of fuel vapour plus air was 400 cm3, now re-
calculate the final pressure.

You now need to use the full PVT expression.

(p1 x V1)/T1 = (p2 x V2)/T2

p2 = (p1 x V1 x T2)/(V2 x T1)

p2 = (101 x 400 x 2373)/(1200 x 298) = 268 kPa