Topic 4:

States of Matter
4.1 The gaseous state
Objective
 state the basic assumptions of the kinetic theory as applied to an ideal gas

¶ The idea that molecules in gases are in constant movement is called the kinetic theory of
gases.

¶ This theory makes certain assumptions:

 The gas molecules move rapidly and randomly.
 The distance between the gas molecules is much greater than the diameter of the
molecules so the volume of the molecules is negligible.
 There are no forces of attraction or repulsion between the molecules.
 All collisions between particles are elastic – this means no kinetic energy is lost in
collisions (kinetic energy is the energy associated with moving particles).
 The temperature of the gas is related to the average kinetic energy of the molecules.

¶ A theoretical gas that fits this description is called an ideal gas.

¶ In reality, the gases we encounter don’t fit this description exactly, although they may come
very close. The gases we encounter are called real gases.

¶ Noble gases with small atoms, such as helium and neon, approach ideal gas behaviour. This
is because the intermolecular forces are so small.

Question 1
Explain why the intermolecular forces in a sample of helium and neon are very small.

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Ideal gases
Objective
 explain the origin of pressure in a gas in terms of collisions between gas molecules and the
wall of the container
 understand that ideal gases have zero particle volume and no intermolecular forces of
attraction

¶ The volume which a gas occupies depends on

 Its pressure; we measure pressure in Pascals, Pa
 Its temperature; we measure temperatures of gases in Kelvin, K.

¶ The Kelvin temperature equals the Celcius temperature plus 273. For example, 100°C is 100
+ 273 = 373 K.

Question 2
a) Convert the following temperatures into the Kelvin temperature:
i) 245°C 518K
ii) -45°C 228K

b) How many pascals are there in 15 kPa? 15000 Pa

a As the volume of a gas decreases, its pressure increases due to the increased frequency of the
gas molecules hitting the walls of the container.

b For an ideal gas a plot of the volume of gas against 1/ pressure shows a proportional
relationship.

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a As the temperature increases, the volume of a gas increases. Molecules hit the walls with
increases force.

b For an ideal gas, the volume of a gas is proportional to its kelvin temperature.

¶ An ideal gas will have a volume that varies exactly in proportion to its temperature and
exactly in inverse proportion to its pressure.

Question 3
Some chemical reactions involving gases are performed in sealed glass tubes which do not melt
at high temperatures. The tubes have thin walls and can easily break. Use the kinetic theory of
gases to explain why the tubes should not be heated to high temperatures.

Limitations of the ideal gas laws

¶ Real gases do not always obey the kinetic theory in two ways:
 There is not zero attraction between the molecules.
 We cannot ignore the volume of the molecules themselves.

¶ These differences are especially noticeable at very high pressures and very low
temperatures. Under these conditions:
 The molecules are close to each other.
 The volume of the molecule is not negligible compared with the volume of the
container.
 There are Van der Waals or dipole-dipole forces of attraction between the molecules.
 Attractive forces pull the molecules towards each other and away from the walls of the
container.
 The pressure is lower than expected for an ideal gas.
 The effective volume of the gas is smaller than expected for an ideal gas.

Question 4

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a) What is meant by the term Ideal gas?
b) Under what conditions do real gases differ from ideal gases? Give reasons for your answer.

The general gas equation

Objective
 state and use the general gas equation pV = nRT in calculations, including the
determination of Mr

Question 5
a) Calculate the volume occupied by 272 g of methane at a pressure of 250 kPa and a
temperature of 54°C. (R = 8.31 JK-1mol-1; Mr methane = 16.0)
b) The pressure exerted by 0.25 mol of carbon monoxide in a 10 dm 3 flask is 120 kPa. Calculate
the temperature in the flask in Kelvin.

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Calculating relative molecular masses
¶ Since the number of moles is the mass of a substance divided by its relative molecular mass,
we can find the relative molecular mass of a gas by simple substituting in the general gas
equation.

Example: A flask of volume 2.0 dm3 was found to contain 5.28 g of a gas. The pressure in the
flask was 200 kPa and the temperature was 20°C. Calculate the relative molecular mass of the
gas. (R = 8.31 JK-1mol-1)

Question 6
When 0.08 g of liquid X was vaporised at 100°C, 23 cm3 of vapour was formed. The atmospheric
pressure was 1.02 x 105 Pa. Calculate the relative molecular mass of liquid X. (R = 8.31 JK -1mol-1)

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 Please proceed to do questions from:
- Calculations in AS/A Level Chemistry, Jim Clark, Pg. 51, Problem 9-11
- Calculations in AS/A Level Chemistry, Jim Clark, Pg. 53, Problem 19-20

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