Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Ideal Gas Law

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: atmosphere, Avogadro’s law, Boyle’s law, Charles’s law, dependent variable, directly
proportional, Gay-Lussac’s law, ideal gas, ideal gas constant, ideal gas law, independent variable, inversely
proportional, Kelvin temperature scale, kilopascal, mole, pressure, proportionality, STP, volume

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. Why is it often necessary to add air to your car tires during the winter?

Cars typically require a tire pressure of 30 to 35 psi (pounds of force per

square inch). The recommended psi for your car is the ideal tire pressure
year-round; there aren’t different numbers for summer or winter. The
temperature does affect tire pressure, however. So when the temperature
drops, you might be inflating your tires more often to maintain ideal tire
pressure in cold weather.

2. Why do you think it might be a bad idea to throw an aerosol can into a fire?

When heated at constant pressure, the volume of the air inside the balloon expands. The gas
law that applies is Charles's law. Warning signs are sometimes placed on aerosol cans to
prevent people from throwing them into a fire. ... The can will burst if the pressure becomes
great enough.
Tossing an aerosol can into a fire will boil all the liquid contents into gases, which will at that
point be highly compressed. Even if the valve ruptures and the contents begin venting, the
internal pressure will rapidly build to the point that the can will rupture explosively.

Gizmo Warm-up
The Ideal Gas Law Gizmo shows molecules moving within a chamber fitted with
a movable piston. As the piston moves up and down, the volume of the chamber
changes. Since gases expand to fill their container, any changes in the volume of
the chamber changes the volume of the gas within.

1. Next to Dependent variable, check that Volume is selected. Using the green
slider, change the pressure. Note what happens to the temperature, volume,
and amount of gas.

What changes? What stays the same? Generally, a gas behaves more like an ideal
If the gas at higher temperature and lower
temperature pressure, as the potential energy due to
and volume intermolecular forces becomes less
remain significant compared with the particles' kinetic
constant, energy, and the size of the molecules
then the becomes less significant compared to the

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 pressure of empty space between them.
the gas
changes is
directly
proportional
to the
number of
molecules of
gas present.
If the
number of
gas
molecules
and the
temperature
remain
constant,
then the
pressure is
inversely
proportional
to the
volume.

2. Using the purple slider on the tank of gas, adjust the number of moles, or amount of gas.

What changes? the volume What stays the same?

of the gas During compression, the volume (V) of a gas
decreases decreases. When this happens, the pressure
(P) of the gas increases if the number of
moles (n) of gas remains constant. If you
keep the pressure constant, reducing the
temperature (T) also causes the gas to
compress.

3. Now make Pressure the dependent variable. Use the red slider to change the temperature.

What changes? The What stays the same? However the moles of gas remains constant.
pressure
increases

Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:

● Select Volume as the dependent variable.
Volume ● Set Pressure (P) to 1.0 atm, Moles (n) to 1.0, and
relationships Temperature (T) to 100 K.

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Introduction: The dependent variable changes in response to a change in the independent variable in an
experiment. Independent variables are controlled by the experimenter and are manipulated to see what effect
they might have on the dependent variable.

Question: What are some factors that affect the volume of a gas?

1. Investigate: In this Gizmo, all temperatures are measured using the Kelvin temperature scale. This scale
is based directly on molecular motion, with 0 K equal to –273 °C.

A. What do you think will happen to the speed of the molecules if a gas is heated?

when a gas is heated, the effect is to make the molecules move faster. It is this more rapid,
energetic motion of the molecules that create an increased pressure in a container due to the
collisions of the molecules with the container walls.

B. What do you think will happen to the space between molecules, and thus the volume of a gas, as it
is heated?

Molecules within gases are further apart and weakly attracted to each other. Heat causes the
molecules to move faster, (heat energy is converted to kinetic energy ) which means that the
volume of a gas increases more than the volume of a solid or liquid.

2. Analyze: Select the TABLE tab to see your data. With temperature set at 100 K, press Record. Increase
the temperature in 50 K increments, pressing Record each time.

A. What trend do you see? Based on my observation when you increase the volume the volume of
the gas will also increases.

B. If the temperature of a gas is doubled, its volume will If the temperature of gas is double into 300
K its volume also increases in 25 L

C. If the temperature of a gas is halved, its volume will If the temperature of gas is halved into 150
K, its volume will be 12 L

If two variables are directly proportional, an increase in the independent variable will cause the
dependent variable to increase at the same rate. If the variables are inversely proportional, an
increase in the independent variable will cause the dependent variable to decrease at the same
rate.

D. Select the GRAPH tab. Choose Temperature for the x-axis. A line with a positive slope shows that
two variables are directly proportional, while a curve with a negative slope reveals that two variables
are inversely proportional.

Based on the graph, temperature and volume are Directly proportional.

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3. Summarize: Charles’s law states the relationship between the temperature and volume of a gas. Based
on your observations so far, state Charles’s law in your own words.

Charles' law states that the volume of a gas equals a constant value multiplied by its temperature as
measured on the Kelvin scale (zero Kelvin corresponds to -273.15 degrees Celsius).

4. Explore: Select the TABLE tab. Note the container’s lid, which exerts pressure on the gas.
A. What do you think will happen to the volume of the gas as pressure is increased?

when the pressure of gas at a constant temperature is increased, the volume of the gas
decreases. ... this relationship between pressure and volume is called Boyle's law. So, at
constant temperature, the answer to your answer is: the volume decreases in the same ratio as
the ratio of pressure increase

B. Gradually increase the pressure. Record data each time. How does volume change when pressure
increases? When the volume decreases, the pressure increases. This shows that the pressure
of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume

C. What happens to the volume when the pressure doubles? The volume
DECREASES

D. Is this relationship directly or inversely proportional? YES

5. Summarize: The relationship between pressure and volume is summarized by Boyle’s law. Based on your
observations, state Boyle’s law in your own words.

Boyle’s Law (sometimes referred to as the Boyle-Mariotte Law) states that the absolute pressure and
volume of a given mass of confined gas are inversely proportional, provided the temperature remains
unchanged within a closed system.

6. Predict: Check that Volume is still the dependent variable. Set Moles to 0.2 mol.
A. Predict: If more gas is added to the chamber, the volume will decreases

B. Gradually introduce more gas into the chamber. Was your prediction correct? The more
moles you
put in the
chamber.
The
volume
increases

7. Investigate: On the DESCRIPTION tab, change the gas to helium and then to nitrogen. Experiment with the
Gizmo, noting if the volume changes as the type of gas is changed.
A. Does the identity of the gas affect the volume of the gas? No it
doesn’t
affect

B. Why do you think this is so? It describes how the pressure of a gas tends to decrease as the

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 volume of the container increases.

8. Graph: Create a graph that shows the relationship between volume and number of moles.
A. Is the relationship between the amount of gas (indicated by moles) and the volume directly or
indirectly proportional? The amount of gas is directly
proportional to the volume

B. Therefore, if the amount of gas is tripled, the volume will It will also be tripled

9. Summarize: Avogadro’s law states the relationship between volume and the amount of gas. State
Avogadro’s law in your own words.

Avogadro's law states that "equal volumes of all gases, at the same temperature and pressure, have the
same number of molecules." For a given mass of an ideal gas, the volume and amount (moles) of the
gas are directly proportional if the temperature and pressure are constant.

Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:

● Select Pressure as the dependent variable.
Pressure ● Set Volume (V) to 42.0 L, Moles (n) to 1.0, and
relationships Temperature (T) to 100 K.

Introduction: Pressure refers to the force that the gas molecules exert on the walls of their container.
Pressure always refers to force acting over a specific area: Pressure = Force/Area.

Question: What determines how much pressure a gas will exert?

1. Explore: Set the gas to Hydrogen. Observe how often the gas molecules collide with the bottom of the
chamber. Now increase the temperature and observe the number of collisions.
A. What happens to the speed of molecules as temperature increases? With an increase in
temperature, the
particles gain kinetic
energy and move
faster.

B. What happens to the number of collisions as temperature increases? With an increase in

temperature, there is
an increase in the
number of collisions.
Increasing the
concentration of a
reactant increases the
frequency of collisions
between reactants and
will, therefore, increase
the reaction rate

C. What happens to the pressure as temperature increases? The temperature of the gas is
proportional to the average
kinetic energy of its molecules.
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 Faster moving particles will
collide with the container walls
more frequently and with greater
force. This causes the force on
the walls of the container to
increase and so the pressure
increases.

D. Based on your observations, why do you think the pressure increases?

The pressure comes from the collisions of the particles with the container. If the average kinetic
energy of the particles (temperature) remains the same, the average force per particle will be the
same. With more particles there will be more collisions and so a greater pressure.

2. Summarize: The relationship between pressure and temperature (at constant volume) is given by Gay-
Lussac’s law. State Gay-Lussac’s law in your own words.

Gay Lussac's Law - states that the pressure of a given amount of gas held at constant volume is directly
proportional to the Kelvin temperature. If you heat a gas you give the molecules more energy so they
move faster. This means more impacts on the walls of the container and an increase in the pressure.

3. Investigate: Select the BAR CHART tab. Make the chamber as large as possible.
A. Gradually decrease the volume. What happens to the pressure of the gas? Decreasing the
volume of a gas
increases the
pressure of the
gas.

B. What happens to the pressure when the volume is cut in half? The pressure will be doubled

C. What happens to the pressure when the volume is quadrupled? halving the pressure at
constant temperature
means half the volume
compression, so the
volume doubles after step

D. How does volume affect pressure?

More collisions mean more force, so the pressure will increase. When the volume decreases, the
pressure increases. This shows that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume.

4. Observe: Select the BAR CHART tab. Change the number of moles and observe.
A. What happens to the pressure as the amount of gas increases? The pressure will also increases

B. What is the relationship between the number of moles and pressure?

At constant temperature and pressure the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the number
of moles of gas. At constant temperature and volume the pressure of a gas is directly proportional

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 to the number of moles of gas.

5. Infer: One mole of any substance contains Avogadro’s number (6.022 ×1023) of particles.
A. Will doubling the number of moles double the number of particles? yes

B. Why does doubling the number of moles double the pressure?

Avogadro Law gives the relationship between volume and amount when pressure and
temperature are held constant. Remember amount is measured in moles. ... This means the gas
pressure inside the container will increase (for an instant), becoming greater than the pressure on
the outside of the walls

6. Compare: Change the gas to nitrogen, which is heavier than hydrogen, and observe.
A. Do its molecules move faster or slower than those of hydrogen? At the same temperature, lighter
molecules move faster (on
average) than heavier ones.

B. Since heavier molecules exert more force each time they collide, is it likely that fewer collisions
could produce the same force?
Molecules of a gas are
so far apart, on average,
that the volume of the
molecules themselves is
negligible compared to
the volume of the gas.
Molecular collisions with
container walls cause
the gas to exert
pressure.

C. Observe the pressure as you change the type of gas. What can you conclude about the effect of
the type of gas on pressure?
The pressure law states that for a constant volume of gas in a
sealed container the temperature of the gas is directly
proportional to its pressure. This can be easily understood by
visualising the particles of gas in the container moving with a
greater energy when the temperature is increased.

7. Summarize: What are three ways to increase the pressure of a gas?

1. Add more gas. More molecules mean more collisions.

2. Decrease the volume. Less space means less room for the atoms to move
in and this will lead to more collisions and more pressure.
3. Increase the temperature.

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 Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:

The ideal gas law ● Select Volume as the dependent variable.

Introduction: So far you have explored the individual relationships between P, V, T, and n. In this activity, you
will combine all of these relationships into a single law, enabling you to see how the behavior of a gas is
affected when several different variables are changed at one time.

Question: How do volume, pressure, temperature, and amount of gas interact?

1. Analyze: Avogadro’s law states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles (n).
If two variables are directly proportional the symbol “∝” is used, which means “directly proportional to.” Therefore,
the relationship between volume and moles would be written as V ∝ n. This type of relationship is known as a
proportionality.

A. Volume is also directly proportional to temperature (T). Express this relationship as a

proportionality,
in the following form: V ∝ 1/P . T.

B. Since volume is inversely proportional to pressure, volume is directly proportional to 1/P. Express
this relationship as a proportionality: PV ∝K
2. Calculate: A proportionality is not the same thing as an equation, however. To convert a proportionality into
an equation it is necessary to multiply by a mathematical constant. For example, a ∝ b means that a = kb,
where k is a constant. When referring to gases, this constant is referred to as R, the ideal gas constant.

A. In the space below, rewrite the proportionality you created in question 2 so that the proportionality symbol
(∝) is changed to “=” and the right side is multiplied by R.

PV = nRT or PV∝nRT

B. Rearrange your equation to solve for the ideal gas constant: R = R = PV / nT

C. You should have gotten an equation equivalent to (R = PV / nT). Pick any set of conditions in the
Gizmo you would like, and then calculate R. Show your work below.

P = 1.0 atm V= 22.4 L

n= 1.0 mol T= 273 K R= 0.0821 L.

atm. mol. K

D. Recalculate R using a completely different set of Gizmo conditions R= 8.3145 L.

atm. mol. K

3. Compare: The accepted value for R is 0.08206 L·atm/K·mol or 8.314 L·kPa/K·mol, depending on the unit
of pressure used. (Your answer may differ slightly due to rounding.)

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 How close was your calculation? Ideal Gas is really constant

4. Synthesize: The ideal gas law is an equation relating P, V, R, n, and T. Rewrite the formula you found in
question 3A so that P and V are on one side and R, n, and T are on the other. Show your work.

PV = nRT

5. Discover: It is important to have a baseline set of conditions to serve as a reference point. Standard
temperature and pressure (STP) is defined as 1 atmosphere (atm) or 101.325 kilopascals (kPa) of
pressure at 273 K (0 ºC). STP reflects normal atmospheric conditions at sea level.

A. Use the Gizmo to find the volume of 1 mole of gas at STP. (You will need to manually enter the
temperature.) What value did you find? 22.4133L

B. Choose a different gas. Does the volume change? No

6. Calculate: Use the ideal gas law (PV = nRT) to solve the following. Show work for each problem. Then use
Gizmo to check your answer.

A. What is the volume of 0.5 moles of gas at STP?

Paste the picture. e here

V= 11.2 L

B. How much pressure would 0.8 moles of a gas at 370 K exert if it occupied 17.3 L of space?

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 P= 1.40 atm

C. How much H2 gas is necessary to exert a pressure of 1.4 atm at 430 K if occupying a volume of
15.1 L?

n= 0.59 mol

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