GASES

Introduction

Jessie Ndala, PhD

Gases and the Kinetic Molecular Theory
An Overview of the Physical States of Matter

Gas Pressure and Its Measurement

The Gas Laws and Their Experimental Foundations

The Ideal Gas Law and its applications

The Kinetic-Molecular Theory: A Model for Gas

Behavior Real Gases: Deviations from Ideal Behavior

The three states of matter

 Matter: anything that occupies space and has
mass - the physical material of the universe

Matter is encountered as a collection of atoms or

molecules or ions
The three states of matter
Substances can exist in any of the three states of matter: solid,
liquid, or gas

Solid: strongest attractive forces. Atoms, molecules

or ions held together in a specific
arrangement.

Liquid: Strong attractive forces which pull particles close

 together but still allow considerable
freedom to move.
Gas: Weak attractive forces, particles move about
freely and are far from each other.

• Physical properties depend, to a large extent, on state.

The three states of matter
E.g. Bromine
The three states of matter
 0
Elements that exist as gases at 25 C and 1 atmosphere
Some Important Industrial Gases
 Name (Formula) Origin and use

Methane (CH4) Natural deposits; domestic fuel Ammonia (NH3) From

N2 + H2; fertilizers, explosives

Chlorine (Cl2) Electrolysis of seawater; bleaching and disinfecting

Oxygen (O2) Liquefied air; steelmaking

Ethylene (C2H4) High-temperature decomposition of natural gas;

plastics

Gases
Gas particles can be monatomic (Ne), diatomic (N2), or
polyatomic (CH4)
Physical Characteristics of Gases
• Gases assume the volume and shape of their containers. •
Gases are the most compressible state of matter. • Gas
volume changes greatly with temperature
• Gases will mix evenly and completely when confined to the
same container.
• Gases have much lower densities than liquids and solids. •
Gas have relatively low viscosity.
• Gas particles are considered to have mass, but no volume

Physical Properties of a Gas

Gases are described in terms of:
 Property Description Units of Measurement

Pressure (P) The force exerted by Atmosphere (atm); mmHg

gas on the walls of ( Torr), Pascal (Pa); psi;
container
Volume (V) The space occupied Litre (L) = 1 dm3;
by gas mililitre (mL)
Temperature The average kinetic Celcius (oC); Kelvin
(T) energy and rate of (K); Fareihnheit (F)
motion of the gas
particles
Amount (n) The quantity of gas Grams (g); moles
present in the container

Area
Pressure (P)

Pressure = Force
 acceleration) Units of

Pressure
For a gas, the force arises from the
sum of collisions with the walls of the cotainer
(force = mass x

N/m2 = 1 kg/m s2
(Blaise Pascal
1623-1662)
1 Pascal (Pa) = 1

=
1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 760 29.92
torr = 101,325 Pa in. Hg

= 14.7 psi
 unit area of surface by molecules
in motion
Pressure is the force exerted per
A woman’s high heels sink into the soft ground,
but the man’s larger/flat heels do not.

Pressure =
force/area
Atmospheric Pressure
 Atmospheric pressure is a result of the fact that
air has mass and is attracted by gravity
producing a force.

Knowing this atmospheric pressure and

predicting changes in the atmospheric pressure
is how forecasters predict the weather.

The pressure (force per unit area) exerted upon us

by the earth’s atmosphere
Atmospheric Pressure
The mass of a column of atmosphere of 1m2in cross-section area and
extending to top of the atmosphere (mass = 10, 300 kg, 1kg = 9.8 N)
exerts a force of 1.01 x 105 N …therefore it exerts the pressure of 1 atm
(1.01 x 105 Pa) at the surface
Effect of atmospheric pressure on a familiar object.

Atmospheric Pressure
– Changes with altitude and weather
- the lower the altitude, the
longer and heavier is the
column of air above an
area of the earth.

520 mmHg

760 mmHg = 1 atm

Measuring Gas Pressure

Barometer - A device to measure atmospheric
pressure. Pressure is defined as force divided by
area. The force is the force of gravity acting on
the air molecules.
Manometer - A device to measure gas
pressure in a closed container.
The
barometer
(Evangelista Torricelli
-1643)

Hg rises in tube until force of

Hg (down)
balances the force of
atmosphere
(pushing up).
Pressure of Hg pushing down is
related to
Hg density and column height

760 mm Hg = 760 Torr for std

Atmosphere (1 atm)
Pressure exerted by liquid column
ρhAg
=
Amg
force area
P =AF
⇒ P = ρhg
 (F = ma = ρhA)
=
A= mg) (m =

Pressure is directly proportional to the height of the column

in a barometer or manometer.
 Constructing a water barometer
What is the height of a column of water that would exert the
same pressure as a column of mercury that is 760 mm high
(use densities of 13.6 g/cm3for Hg and 1.00 g/cm3for water).

Solution:
PHg= ρHg hHg g Pw= ρwhwg
h ρ
⇒ ρHg hHg g =
⇒=w
Hg
ρhg w w
Hg Hg
hwx h
h ρ
ρ w
13.6 g/cm
760
⇒=
Hg
mmHg x
ρ
w 3
hH O= = 10,300mm
2
H O 2 g/cm
3
= 10.3m 1.00
 Standard temperature and pressure (STP)
Standard Pressure =
1 atmosphere (atm) =
STP allows us to compare 760 mm Hg (or torr) =
amounts of gases 14.7 psi =
between different
101.3 kPa
pressures and
temperatures

Corresponds to typical pressure at sea level at 0 oC

Standard Temperature = 0 oC
(273 K)
Common Units of Pressure
 Unit Atmospheric Pressure

Pascal (Pa); 1.01325 x 105 Pa SI unit kilopascal (kPa)

101.325 kPa

Atmosphere (atm) 1 atm

Millimeters of mercury¨(mmHg) 760 mmHg

Torr 760 torr Pounds per square inch (psi or lb/in2)

14.7 lb/in2 Bar 1.01325 bar

Gases and Gas Pressure

Force
 Pressure:Unit area

Conversions

1 atm = 760 mm Hg (exact)

(exact)
1 torr = 1 mm
Hg

1 bar = 1 x 10 (exact) 5 Pa 1

atm = 101 325 Pa

Converting Units of Pressure

A Geochemist collects a sample of carbon dioxide from the
decomposition of Limestone (CaCO3) in a closed end manometer, the
height of the mercury is 341.6 mm Hg. Calculate the CO2 pressure in
torr, atmospheres, and kilopascals.
 Plan: The pressure is in mmHg, so we use the conversion factors from
previous slide to find the pressure in other units.

341.6 torr 1 torr 1 mm Hg

Solution:
converting from mmHg to torr:

PCO2 (torr) = 341.6 mm Hg x =

converting from torr to atm:

PCO2( atm) = 341.6 torr x = 0.4495 atm 1 atm
760 torr

converting from atm to kPa:

PCO2(kPa) = 0.4495 atm x = ________ kPa 101.325 kPa
1 atm

Converting Units of Pressure

Suppose the height of Hg in a barometer on a particular day is
760 mm (0.760 m), given that the density of Hg at 20 oC is
13.546 g/cm3(13 546 kg/m3) and the acceleration of free fall is
9.80665 m/s2, what is the atmospheric pressure?

P = ρhg = (13546 kg/m3) x (0.760 m) x (9.80665

m/s2) = 1.01 x 105 kg/m.s2 = 1.01 x 105 Pa