Question 40W: These questions will help you to use the ideal gas law equations.

The ideal gas equation is pV = nRT.

1. Write down what each of the terms in the equation stands for.

2. What units must T be measured in? Why?

3. Why is the equation called the ideal gas equation rather than just the
gas equation?

The ideal gas equation contains the three gas laws.

4. Show that the ideal gas equation becomes Boyles law pV = constant if n
and T are constant.

5. Show that the ideal gas equation becomes Charless law V / T = constant if
n and p are constant.

6. Show that the ideal gas equation becomes the pressure law p / T =
constant when n and V are constant.

A useful form of the ideal gas equation (for a fixed mass of gas) is:

pV
constant
T

This means that if a gas changes its state from p 1 V1 T1 to p2 V2 T2 then:

p2V2 p1V1

T2 T1

Use this form of the equation to solve the following problems.

7. An air bubble is released by a diver at a depth where the external pressure
and temperature are 4.0 x105 Pa and 12 C and rises to the surface where the
pressure and temperature are 1.0 x105 Pa and 16 C. If the original volume of the
bubble was 1.0 cm3 calculate its volume at the surface.

8. At the start of a journey the air pressure inside a car tyre is 2.2 x 10 5 Pa
and its temperature is 20 C. At the end of the journey the temperature has risen
to 38 C. What is the new pressure? Assume the volume of the tyre is
unchanged.

9. A cylinder of volume 1.0 litres contains an ideal gas at 18 C and at a

pressure of 1.1 x 105 Pa. It is rapidly compressed to a volume of 0.25 litres and
the pressure rises to 6.6 x 105 Pa. What is the final temperature of the gas?