Kinetic-Molecular

Theory
Kinetic Molecular
Theory (KMT) is a
model used to
explain the
behavior of gases.
Major Ideas of Kinetic
Molecular Theory
 Gases contain
particles (usually
molecules or
atoms) that are in
constant, random,
straight line motion.
 Major Ideas of Kinetic
Molecular Theory
 Gas particles collide
with each other and
with the walls of the
container. The
collisions transfer
energy, but there is no
Major Ideas of Kinetic
Molecular Theory
 Gas particles are
separated by relatively
great distances.
Because of this, the
volume occupied by the
particles themselves is
negligible.
Major Ideas of Kinetic
Molecular Theory
 Gas particles do
not attract each
other.
The Nature of Gases
 KMT Theory explains why gases
exert pressure

 Not only do the gas particles

collide with each other, but they
also collide with the walls.
The Nature of Gases
 The collisions with the wall exert
a force over the surface area of
the wall.

 That is they exert pressure on

the wall…

 Recall that pressure is a force

per unit area.
Units of Pressure
 We will use two different units
for pressure.
 Atmospheres (atm)
 kiloPascals

 Animation
Temperature
 Recall that temperature is the
average kinetic energy of the
particles.

 So, the higher the temp, the

faster the particles are moving.
Behavior of Gases
 There are four variables…
 # of gas particles present
 Pressure
 Temperature
 Volume

 … that explain the behavior of

gases.
Chemistry Lab

Boyles Law
Animations
Boyle’s Law
 Boyle’s Law states that the
volume of a given amount of gas
held at constant temperature
varies inversely with the
pressure.

 Mathematically…
P1V1 = P2V2
 Chemistry Lab

Pressure-Temperature
Relationship in Gases
Gay-Lussac’s Law
 States that the pressure of a
given mass of gas varies directly
with the kelvin temperature
when the volume remains
constant.

 Mathematically, …
P1 / T 1 = P2 / T 2
Practice Problem
 A sealed rigid container has a
volume of 2.5L, and a pressure
of 2 atm at 400K. What will be
the new pressure if the
container is cooled to 300K?
Charles’s Law
 States that the volume of a
given mass of gas is directly
proportional to to its kelvin
temperature at constant
pressure.

 Mathematically, …
V1 / T 1 = V 2 / T 2
Combined Gas Law
Equation
 The relationships among
pressure temperature, and
volume can be mathematically
represented by an equation
know as the combined gas
law…

P 1V 1 / T 1 = P 2V 2 / T 2
(reference tables)
Practice Problem
 What volume will a gas occupy
if the pressure on 300 cm3 of
gas at 5.0 atm is increased to
7.0 atm? Assume the
temperature remains constant.
Standard Temperature
and Pressure
 Standard pressure is defined as
1 atmosphere
 One atmosphere is equal to…
 101.3 kPa
 760 mm Hg
 760 torr
 Standard temperature is defined
as 00C (273 K)
Lets Practice More…
 If 120 cm3 of a gas is at STP,
what volume will the gas
occupy if the temperature is
raised to 500C and the pressure
is increased to 950 torr?
Ideal vs. Real Gases
 When gas laws are used to
solve problems, the results
don’t always agree exactly with
lab results

 The explanation is that the

assumptions of KMT are not
exactly correct.
Ideal vs. Real Gases
 Gas particles really do attract
one another!
 In most cases, IMF’s are so small
they can be ignored
 But in extreme cases, the IMF’s
become significant and important
 For example, water becomes snow
or rain when the temps get low
enough.
Ideal vs. Real Gases
 Gas particles actually do
occupy volume!
 As pressure increases, the volume
occupied by the by the gas
particles can’t be ignored.
 At high pressures, there are more
frequent collisions.
Under What Conditions
Is A Gas Nearly Ideal?
 Low Pressure

 High Temperature

 Because those conditions allow

the molecules to stay far away
from one another.