Unit 6

Gases, Phase Changes and Introduction

to Thermochemistry
Part I: Gases
Characteristics of Gases
Pressure
Kinetic-Molecular Theory
The Gas Laws
Partial Pressures
Effusion and Diffusion
Real Gases
 Properties of Gases
 Three phases of matter

 solid Definite shape and volume

 liquid Definite volume, shape of

container

 gas Shape and volume of

container
 Properties of Gases
 A gas is a collection of molecules that are
very far apart on average.
 In air, gas molecules occupy only 0.1% of
the total volume.

 In liquids, molecules occupy ~ 70% of the

total space.
 Properties of Gases
 Gases are highly compressible.
 Volume decreases when pressure is applied.

 Gases form homogeneous mixtures with each

other regardless of the identities or relative
proportions of the different gases.
 Water and gasoline = heterogeneous
mixture.
 Water vapor and gasoline vapor =
homogeneous mixture.
 Properties of Gases

 Properties of gases vary depending on their

composition.
 Air: ~ 78% N2 and ~ 21% O2
 CO2: colorless, odorless
 CO: colorless, odorless, highly toxic
 NO2: toxic, red-brown, irritant
 N2O: colorless, sweet odor (laughing gas)
 Pressure
 Four quantities are commonly needed to
describe a gas:
 amount of gas (n)
 Temperature (T)
 Volume (V)
 Pressure (P)
 Pressure
 Gases exert pressure on the objects in their
surroundings.

 Pressure is caused by collisions between the

gas molecules and objects with which they are
in contact.

 Pressure: the force exerted on a unit area

P = F
A
 Pressure
 Atmospheric pressure: the pressure exerted
by gas molecules in the air on all objects
exposed to the atmosphere
 Atmospheric pressure varies with altitude.

Altitude Atmospheric Pressure

(ft above in. Hg Torr psi
sea level)
0 29.92 760 14.7
5000 24.9 632.5 12.23
10,000 20.58 522.7 10.1
Pressure

Why does atmospheric pressure

decrease with increasing altitude?

 Gravity decreases
 Density of gas decreases
 Fewer gas molecules
Fewer collisions
Lower pressure
 Pressure
 Many different units used to report pressure.

 millimeters of Hg (mm Hg)

 inches of Hg (in. Hg)
 pounds per square inch (psi)
Must know
 atmosphere (atm)
 torr (torr)
units and
 pascal (Pa) = SI base unit abbreviations!!
 kilopascal (kPa)
 Pressure
 Relationships between different pressure units:

1 atm = 760 mm Hg Must be able to

= 760 torr interconvert
= 29.92 in. Hg between units.
= 14.7 psi
Memorize the ones
= 1.01325 x 105 Pa
in red…I’ll give you
the others.

You must know that 1 kPa = 1000 Pa

 Pressure
Example: The measured pressure inside the eye
of a hurricane was 669 torr. What was the
pressure in atm?
 Pressure
Example: On a nice sunny day in Chicago the
barometric pressure was 30.45 in. Hg. What
was the pressure in Pa?
 Pressure
Example: On Titan, the largest moon of Saturn,
the atmospheric pressure is 1.631 Pa. What is
the pressure in atm?
 Kinetic Molecular Theory
 The behavior of gases can be described and
explained using kinetic molecular theory.

 the “theory of moving molecules”

 You must know the basic ideas that are part

of kinetic molecular theory.
 Kinetic Molecular Theory
 Gases consist of large numbers of molecules
that are in continuous, random motion.

 The combined volume of all the molecules of

the gas is negligible compared to the total
volume in which the gas is contained.
 i.e. the molecules are very far apart on
average
 Kinetic Molecular Theory
 Attractive and repulsive forces between gas
molecules are negligible.

 Energy can be transferred between molecules

during collisions, but the average kinetic
energy of the molecules does not change as
long as the temperature remains constant.
 Collisions are perfectly elastic.
 Kinetic Molecular Theory
 The average kinetic energy of the molecules is
proportional to the absolute temperature.

 At any given temperature all molecules of a

gas have the same average kinetic energy.

 As T (in K) increases,
KE increases.
 Gas Laws
 Four variables are needed to define the
physical condition or state of any gas:
 Temperature (T)
 Pressure (P)
 Volume (V)
 Amount of gas (moles: n)

 Equations relating these variables are known as

the gas laws.
 Gas Laws
Consider a fixed amount of gas that is confined
to a container with a certain volume.

At a specific temperature,
P the gas sample will exert
a certain pressure on the
container.
 Gas Laws
What will happen to the pressure if the
volume is decreased?

P Volume P
decreases
 Gas Laws
 As the volume of a fixed quantity of gas
decreases, the pressure increases because:
 gas molecules are more tightly packed
together
 i.e. denser
 more collisions between gas molecules and
the container
 greater pressure
 Gas Laws
 Boyle’s Law:
 The volume of a fixed quantity of gas
maintained at constant temperature is
inversely proportional to the pressure.

 Mathematically,

V = k x 1 or PV = k or P1V1 = P2V2
P
at constant temperature and quantity of gas
 Gas Laws
 As liquid nitrogen (-196oC) is poured over a
balloon, the volume of the balloon decreases.
 Gas Laws
 Charles’ Law:
 The volume of a fixed amount of gas
maintained at constant pressure is directly
proportional to its absolute temperature.

V = k x T or V = k or V1 = V2
T T1 T2

At constant pressure and quantity of gas

Remember: T must be in Kelvin

 Gas Laws
 On a molecular level, as the temperature of a
gas maintained at constant pressure
decreases,
 KE decreases
 fewer collisions between gas molecules and
the environment (i.e. container)
 volume decreases in order to maintain
constant pressure
 Gas Laws

What happens when

you “blow up” a
balloon?
 Gas Laws

What happens when

you “blow up” a
balloon?
 Gas Laws

What happens when

you “blow up” a
balloon?
 Gas Laws

What happens when

you “blow up” a
balloon?
 Gas Laws

What happens when

you “blow up” a
balloon?

– the number of moles of

gas (n) increases
and
– the volume of the gas
(balloon) increases
 Gas Laws

 Avogadro’s Law:
 The volume of a gas maintained at constant
temperature and constant pressure is
directly proportional to the number of moles
of the gas.

 Mathematically,

V = constant x n
At constant temperature and pressure
 Gas Laws
 At any given temperature and pressure, as the
amount of gas increases,
 the number of gas molecules increases
 the number of collisions between gas
molecules and the environment (container)
increases
 the volume must increase in order to
maintain constant pressure
 Gas Laws
 In a chemical reaction, we use the coefficients
to tell us how many moles or molecules are
used or produced in a chemical reaction.

N2 (g) + 3 H2 (g)  2 NH3 (g)

 1 mole of nitrogen reacts with 3 moles of

hydrogen to produce 2 moles of ammonia
 Gas Laws
 Since the volume of a gas is directly
proportional to the number of moles of gas at
constant temperature and pressure, we can
also use the coefficients to represent the
volume of a gas involved in a reaction.
(Avogadro’s Hypothesis)

N2 (g) + 3 H2 (g)  2 NH3 (g)

 1 liter of nitrogen reacts with 3 liters of

hydrogen to produce 2 liters of ammonia
 Gas Laws
 Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, and Avogadro’s Law
can be combined to make a more general gas
law:

 Ideal Gas Law:

PV = nRT

where P = pressure
V = volume
n = moles
T = temperature (K)
R = gas constant
 Gas Laws
 The value of the gas constant (R) depends on
the units of P, V, n, and T.
 T must always be in Kelvin
 n is usually in moles

 If P (atm) and V (L),

 then R = 0.08206 atm.L
I will give you
mol.K
these on the
 If P (torr) and V (L),
test.
 then R = 62.36 L.torr
mol.K