Gas Laws Simulation Lab

● Go to the pHet ​“States of Matter: Basics”​ simulation.

● Click on the “Phase Changes” icon.
● On the top right hand corner of the simulation
you can select different types of atoms/molecules.
Select one at a time.
1. What is the difference between the water and the
neon? Select each one and record as many
differences as you see in the box below.

● Now select “Oxygen.”

2. The simulation shows a quantity of oxygen molecules. What state of matter is this? How do you know?

● Heat the oxygen to about 150 K (K is Kelvin, related to Celcius scale but goes as low as -273 C for absolute 0)
3. What state of matter is the oxygen in? How do you know?

Experiment One ​: Constant temperature.

● Reset the simulation (the orange bottom on the bottom right side) and choose oxygen.
● Drag the finger down to decrease the volume to 1/4 of a container. Watch what happens to the temperature as
the volume decreases. Then, cool or heat the oxygen temperature to be around 450 K. (You may have to
readjust several times. Be patient!). Hit pause on the simulation (the blue button under the container). Record
the actual temperature and pressure in the first row of the table. The volume has been recorded for you.
● Press play (the blue triangle icon below the container)
● Drag the lid handle up to increase the volume to 1/2 of a container. Adjust the oxygen temperature back to
around 450 K. Press pause. Record the new temperature and pressure in the second row of the table. The
volume has been recorded for you.
● Drag the lid handle up to increase the volume to the top of the container. We will call the current volume of the
oxygen “1 container.” Adjust the oxygen temperature back to 450 K. Press pause. Record the new temperature
and pressure in the third row of the table.

“constant”
Volume vs. pressure at constant temperature
temperature
Temperature Volume
Pressure (atm)
(K) (containers)
1/4

1/2

1
 4. Write a statement describing how the volume of a quantity of a gas is related to its pressure at constant
temperature. ​Fill in the blanks below:

As volume_______________________ Pressure _____________________ and as

volume_________________________, Pressure _____________________

5. ​ Which of the Gas Laws is this (highlight the correct one)​: Charles’ Law or Boyle’s Law?

Experiment Two: Constant pressure.

● Reset the simulation and choose oxygen.
● Drag the finger down until the pressure is about 30 atm. (The pressure will not change at first. Experiment!).
● Hit pause and record the pressure (hopefully close to 30), temperature, and volume of the container (Estimate
the volume as a fraction of a container.)
● Press play
● Drag the finger upward to increase to volume to 1/2 a container. Heat or cool the oxygen until the pressure is
once more around 30 atm. (Be patient!). Hit pause.
● Record the new temperature and volume in the second row of the table.
● Press play
● Drag the finger upward to increase to volume to 1 container. Heat or cool the oxygen until the pressure is once
more at 30 atm. (Be ​very​ patient!) Hit pause.

● Record the new temperature and volume in the third row of the table.

“constant” pressure Temperature vs. volume at constant pressure

Pressure (atms) Temperature (K) Volume (container)

6. Write a statement describing how the volume of a quantity of a gas is related to its pressure at constant
temperature. ​ ​Fill in the blanks below:

As volume_______________________ temperature _____________________ and as

volume_________________________, temperature _____________________

7. Which of the Gas Laws is this (highlight the correct one)​: Charles’ Law or Boyle’s Law?
8. The gas laws are true for a fixed ​quantity​ of gas. With this in mind, explain why we didn’t use the bicycle
pump for this activity? INFER: What does the bike pump do?

9. Test your inference by going back to the simulation. How does pumping the bike pump affect the pressure in
the system?