Avogadro's Law

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Discovered by Amedo Avogadro, of Avogadro's Hypothesis fame. The ChemTeam is

not sure when, but probably sometime in the early 1800s.

Gives the relationship between volume and amount when pressure and temperature
are held constant. Remember amount is measured in moles. Also, since volume is one
of the variables, that means the container holding the gas is flexible in some way and
can expand or contract.

If the amount of gas in a container is increased, the volume increases.

If the amount of gas in a container is decreased, the volume decreases.

Why?

Suppose the amount is increased. This means there are more gas molecules and this
will increase the number of impacts on the container walls. This means the gas
pressure inside the container will increase (for an instant), becoming greater than the
pressure on the outside of the walls. This causes the walls to move outward. Since
there is more wall space the impacts will lessen and the pressure will return to its
original value.

The mathematical form of Avogadro's Law is:

V
––– = k
n

This means that the volume-amount fraction will always generate a constant if the
pressure and temperature remain constant.

Let V1 and n1 be a volume-amount pair of data at the start of an experiment. If the

amount is changed to a new value called n2, then the volume will change to V2.

We know this:

V1
––– = k
n1

And we know this:

V2
––– = k
n2

Since k = k, we can conclude:

V1 V2
––– = –––
n1 n2

This equation will be very helpful in solving Avogadro's Law problems. You will also
see it rendered thusly:

V1 / n1 = V2 / n2

Sometimes, you will see Avogadro's Law in cross-multiplied form:

V1n2 = V2n1

Avogadro's Law is a direct mathematical relationship. If one gas variable (V or n)

changes in value (either up or down), the other variable will also change in the same
direction. The constant K will remain the same value.

Example #1: 5.00 L of a gas is known to contain 0.965 mol. If the amount of gas is
increased to 1.80 mol, what new volume will result (at an unchanged temperature and
pressure)?

Solution:

I'll use V1n2 = V2n1

(5.00 L) (1.80 mol) = (x) (0.965 mol)

x = 9.33 L (to three sig figs)

Example #2: A cylinder with a movable piston contains 2.00 g of helium, He, at room
temperature. More helium was added to the cylinder and the volume was adjusted so
that the gas pressure remained the same. How many grams of helium were added to
the cylinder if the volume was changed from 2.00 L to 2.70 L? (The temperature was
held constant.)

Solution:

1) Convert grams of He to moles:

2.00 g / 4.00 g/mol = 0.500 mol

2) Use Avogadro's Law:

V1 / n1 = V2 / n2

2.00 L / 0.500 mol = 2.70 L / x

x = 0.675 mol

3) Compute grams of He added:

0.675 mol − 0.500 mol = 0.175 mol

(0.175 mol) (4.00 g/mol) = 0.7 grams of He added

Example #3: A balloon contains a certain mass of neon gas. The temperature is kept
constant, and the same mass of argon gas is added to the balloon. What happens?

(a) The balloon doubles in volume.

(b) The volume of the balloon expands by more than two times.
(c) The volume of the balloon expands by less than two times.
(d) The balloon stays the same size but the pressure increases.
(e) None of the above.

Solution:

We can perform a calculation using Avogadro's Law:

V 1 / n1 = V 2 / n2

Let's assign V1 to be 1 L and V2 will be our unknown.

Let us assign 1 mole for the amount of neon gas and assign it to be n 1.

The mass of argon now added is exactly equal to the neon, but argon has a higher
gram-atomic weight (molar mass) than neon. Therefore less than 1 mole of Ar will be
added. Let us use 1.5 mol for the total moles in the balloon (which will be n 2) after the
Ar is added. (I picked 1.5 because neon weighs about 20 g/mol and argon weighs
about 40 g/mol.)

1 / 1 = x / 1.5

x = 1.5

answer choice (c).

Example #4: A flexible container at an initial volume of 5.120 L contains 8.500 mol
of gas. More gas is then added to the container until it reaches a final volume of 18.10
L. Assuming the pressure and temperature of the gas remain constant, calculate the
number of moles of gas added to the container.

Solution:

V1 / n1 = V2 / n2
5.120 L 18.10 L
–––––––– = ––––––
8.500 mol x

x = 30.05 mol <--- total moles, not the moles added

30.05 − 8.500 = 21.55 mol (to four sig figs)

Notice the specification in the problem to determine moles of gas added. The
Avogadro Law calculation gives you the total moles required for that volume, NOT
the moles of gas added. That's why the subtraction is there.
Example #5: If 0.00810 mol neon gas at a particular temperature and pressure
occupies a volume of 214 mL, what volume would 0.00684 mol neon gas occupy
under the same conditions?

Solution:

1) Notice that the same conditions are the temperature and pressure. Holding those
two constant means the volume and the number of moles will vary. The gas law that
describes the volume-mole relationship is Avogadro's Law:

V1 V2
––––– = ––––––
n1 n2

2) Substituting values gives:

214 mL V2
––––––––– = ––––––––––
0.00810 mol 0.00684 mol

3) Cross-multiply and divide for the answer:

V2 = 181 mL (to three sig figs)

When I did the actual calculation for this answer, I used 684 and 810 when entering
values into the calculator.

4) You may find this answer interesting:

Dividing PV1 = n1RT by PV2 = n2RT, we get

V1/V2 = n1/n2

V2 = V1n2/n1

V2 = [(214 mL) (0.00684 mol)] / 0.00810 mol

V2 = 181 mL

In case you don't know, PV = nRT is called the Ideal Gas Law. You'll see it a bit later
in your Gas Laws unit, if you haven't already.
Example #6: A flexible container at an initial volume of 6.13 L contains 7.51 mol of
gas. More gas is then added to the container until it reaches a final volume of 13.5 L.
Assuming the pressure and temperature of the gas remain constant, calculate the
number of moles of gas added to the container.

Solution:

1) Let's start by rearranging the Ideal Gas Law (which you'll see a bit later or you can
go review it right now):

PV = nRT

V/n = RT / P

R is, of course, a constant.

2) T and P are constant, as stipulated in the problem. Therefore, we can write this:

k = RT / P

where k is some constant.

3) Therefore, this is true:

V/n = k

4) Given V and n at two different sets of conditions, we have:

V1 / n1 = k
V2 / n2 = k

5) Since k = k, we have this relation:

V1 / n1 = V2 / n2

6) Insert data and solve:

6.13 / 7.51 = 13.5 / n

(6.13) (n) = (13.5) (7.51)

n = [(13.5) (7.51)] / 6.13

n = 16.54 mol (this is not the final answer)

7) Final step:

16.54 − 7.51 = 9.03 mol (this is the number of moles of gas that were added)

Example #7: A container with a volume of 25.47 L holds 1.050 mol of oxygen gas
(O2) whose molar mass is 31.9988 g/mol. What is the volume if 7.210 g of oxygen gas
is removed from the container, assuming the pressure and temperature remain
constant?

Solution #1:

1) Initial mass of O2:

(1.050 mol) (31.9988 g/mol) = 33.59874 g

2) Final mass of O2:

33.59874 − 7.210 = 26.38874 g

3) Final moles of O2:

26.38874 g / 31.9988 g/mol = 0.824679 mol

4) Use Avogadro's Law:

V1/n1 = V2/n2

25.47 L / 1.050 mol = V2 / 0.824679 mol

V2 = 20.00 L

Solution #2:

1) Let's convert the mass of O2 removed to moles:

7.210 g / 31.9988 g/mol = 0.225321 mol

2) Subtract moles of O2 that got removed:

1.050 mol − 0.225321 mol = 0.824679 mol

3) Use Avogadro's Law as above.

Solution #3:

1) This solution depends on seeing that the mass ratio is the same as the mole ratio.
Allow me to explain by using Avogadro's Law:

V1 V2
–––– = ––––
n1 n2

2) Replace moles with mass divided by molar mass:

V1 V2
–––––––––– = ––––––––––
mass1 / MM mass2 / MM

3) Since the molar mass is of the same substance (oxygen in this case), they cancel out
leaving us with this:

V1 V2
–––– = ––––
mass1 mass2

4) Solve using the appropriate values

25.47 L V2
–––––––– = ––––––––
33.59874 g 26.38874 g

V2 = 20.00 L

Example #8: What volume (in L) will 5.5 g of oxygen gas occupy if 2.2 g of the
oxygen gas occupies 3.0 L? (Under constant pressure and temperature.)

Solution:
1) State the ideal gas law:

P1V1 P2V2
––––– = –––––
n1T1 n2T2

Note that it is the full version which includes the moles of gas. Usually a shortened
version with the moles not present is used. Since grams are involved (which leads to
moles), we choose to use the full version.

2) The problem states that P and T are constant:

V1 V2
––– = –––
n1 n2

3) Cross-multiply and rearrange to isolate V2:

V2n1 = V1n2

V2 = (V1) (n2 / n1)

4) moles = mass / molecular weight:

n = mass / mw

V2 = (V1) [(mass2 / mw) / (mass1 / mw)]

5) mw is a constant (since they are both the molecular weight of oxygen), which
means it can be canceled out:

V2 = (V1) (mass2 / mass1)

6) Solve:

V2 = (3.0 L) (5.5 g / 2.2 g)

V2 = 7.5 L
Bonus Example: A cylinder with a movable piston contains 2.00 g of helium, He, at
room temperature. More helium was added to the cylinder and the volume was
adjusted so that the gas pressure remained the same. How many grams of helium were
added to the cylinder if the volume was changed from 2.00 L to 2.50 L? (The
temperature was held constant.)

Solution:

1) The two variables are the volume and the amount of gas (temp and press are
constant). The gas law that relates these two variables is Avogadro's Law:

V1 V2
––––– = ––––––
n1 n2

2) We convert the grams to moles:

2.00 g / 4.00 g/mol = 0.500 mol

3) Now, we use Avogadro's Law:

2.00 L 2.50 L
–––––––– = ––––––
0.500 mol x

x = [(0.500 mol) (2.50 L)] / 2.00 L

x = 0.625 mol <--- this is the ending amount of moles, not the moles of gas added

4) This is the total moles to create the 2.50 L. We need to convert back to grams:

(4.00 g/mol) (0.125 mol) = 0.500 g <--- this is the amount added.

Notice that I subtracted 0.500 mol from 0.625 mol and used 0.125 mol in the
calculation. This is because I want the amount added, not the final ending amount.

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