GASES

Introduction

Peter Chimtali
 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
Elements that exist as gases at 250C 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 gas Atmosphere (atm); mmHg (

on the walls of container Torr), Pascal (Pa); psi;

Volume (V) The space occupied by Litre (L) = 1 dm3; mililitre

gas (mL)
Temperature The average kinetic Celcius (oC); Kelvin (K);
(T) energy and rate of motion Fareihnheit (F)
of the gas particles

Amount (n) The quantity of gas Grams (g); moles

present in the container
 Pressure (P)
Force
Pressure = Area For a gas, the force arises
from the sum of collisions
with the walls of the cotainer
(force = mass x acceleration)

Units of Pressure
1 Pascal (Pa) = 1 N/m2 (Blaise Pascal
1623-1662)
= 1 kg/m s2
1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 760 torr
= 101,325 Pa
Pressure is the force exerted per
= 14.7 psi
unit area of surface by molecules
= 29.92 in. Hg in motion
 A woman’s high heels sink into the soft ground,
but the larger shoes of the much bigger man 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 1m2 in x-section area and

extending to top of the atmosphere (mass = 10, 300 kg) exerts a force of
1.01 x 105 N = 1 atm 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

force F  mg hAg (F = ma = mg)

P  
area A A A (m = ρhA)

 P  ρhg

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/cm3 for Hg and 1.00 g/cm3 for water).

Solution:
PHg  ρHg hHg g Pw  ρw hw g
hw  Hg
 ρHg hHg g  ρw hw g  
hHg w
 Hg
 hw  x hHg
w
13.6 g/cm3
hH 2O  760 mmHg x 3
 10,300 mm
1.00 g/cm
 10.3 m H 2 O
 Standard temperature and pressure (STP)

STP allows us to compare Standard Pressure =

amounts of gases 1 atmosphere (atm) =
between different
760 mm Hg (or torr) =
pressures and
temperatures 14.7 psi =
101.3 kPa

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)

1 torr = 1 mm Hg (exact)

1 bar = 1 x 105 Pa (exact)

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.

Solution: converting from mmHg to torr:

1 torr
PCO2 (torr) = 341.6 mm Hg x = 341.6 torr
1 mm Hg

converting from torr to atm:

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

converting from atm to kPa:

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