CHEM 111

Physical Chemistry I
Problem Set 1- Gases

1. Biogas produced by anaerobic fermentation of pig manure at 30 °C and 1 atm pressure has
the following mole percent composition: 65% CH4, 34% CO2 and 1% H2. Calculate the
a. apparent molar mass;
b. weight percent of CH4 in the gas;
c. density of the gas; and
d. density of the gas which is saturated with water vapor at 30 °C and 1 atm pressure.
The vapor pressure of water at 30 °C is 31.8 mmHg.

2. A typical composition of natural gas at 30 °C and 1 atm (in mol%) is 96.0% CH4, 3.2% N2 and
0.8% CO2.
a. Calculate the apparent molar mass and the density of the gas.
b. Calculate the maximum load that can be carried by a 100-liter balloon filled with the gas
(Assume that the atmosphere is dry air with molar mass of 28.9 g/mol)
c. If the gas is saturated with water vapor at 30 °C, calculate the apparent molar mass
and density of the gas (the vapor pressure of water at 30 °C is 31.8 mm Hg).

3. What mass can be supported by a balloon containing 1000 L of helium at 27°C and 1 atm
pressure if the atmosphere is dry and composed (in mole percent) of 75% N2 and 25% O2?

4. Calculate the water vapor that will condense per cubic meter of wet air at 80% relative
humidity and 40 °C when it passes through an air conditioner at 10 °C. The vapor pressures of
water at 10 °C and 40 °C are 9.2 and 55.3 mmHg. Assume that the air coming out of the air
conditioner at 10 °C is at 50% relative humidity.

5. Starting with the Berthelot equation:

a. derive the power series expansion for the compression factor Z in terms of 1/ .
b. derive the equation for the Boyle temperature in terms of a, b and R.
c. write down the mathematical implications of an inflection point for the pressure-volume
plot.
d. derive the equations for the critical parameters c, Tc and Pc in terms of a, b and R.
e. derive the reduced form of the given equation of state.