Thomas Calvin

4301419027
Physical Chemistry

Ideal-Gas Laws
1. Classify each of the following properties as intensive or extensive: force, pressure, volume,
temperature, mass, density, molar mass, molar volume.
2. Some gases, such as NO2 and NF2, do not obey Boyle’s law at any pressure. Explain.
3. An ideal gas originally at 0.85 atm and 66°C was allowed to expand until its final volume,
pressure, and temperature were 94 mL, 0.60 atm, and 45°C, respectively. What was its initial
volume?
4. Some ballpoint pens have a small hole in the main body of the pen. What is the purpose of this
hole?
5. Starting with the ideal-gas equation, show how you can calculate the molar mass of a gas from a
knowledge of its density.

Answer
1. Intensive:
◦ Temperature
◦ Density
◦ Molar mass
◦ Molar volume
◦ Pressure
Extensive:
• Volume
• Mass
Not a property:
• Force
2. NO2 has an odd number of electrons. The presence of an unpaired electron makes it
particularly reactive and it always exists in an equilibrium with the gas N 2O4. When the
volume is decreased or the pressure is increased (of NO 2), NO2 is more likely to interact with
itself and shift the equilibrium in favor of N2O4 (Le Chatelier’s law). Doing the reverse has the
opposite effect, and N2O4 tends to fall apart into two molecules of NO2 . NO2 essentially
violates the notion that ideal gas molecules do not interact with each other at every
temperature and pressure. It doesn't approximate an ideal gas at normal temperatures and
pressures like many other gases do.
3.
Using the combined gas law :
P1×V 1 P2×V 2
=
T1 T2
0.85 atm×V 1 0.6 atm×94 mL
=
339 K 318 K
0.6 atm×94 mL×339 K
V 1=
0.85 atm×318 K
V 1=70.73 mL
 Thomas Calvin
4301419027
Physical Chemistry

4. As the pen is used the amount of ink decreases, increasing the volume inside the pen. As the
volume increases, the pressure inside the pen decreases. The hole is needed to equalize the
pressure as the volume inside the pen increases.
If there wasn't this hole, a small vacuum would be created and the ink wouldn't flow to the
tip.
5.
P×V =n×R×T
P n
=
R×T V
g n g
density=d= = ×
L V mol
n mol
=d×
V g
P mol
=d×
R×T g
g d×R×T
=
mol P