MATTER

Properties of Gases
• Gases have a number of properties that are
very different from liquids and solids:
1) Gases are compressible
2) Gases exert a pressure
3) Gas pressure depends on the amount of confined
gas
4) Gases fill their container
5) Gases mix freely with each other
6) Gas pressure increases with temperature
 The qualitative observations
of the properties of gases
leads to the conclusion that a
gas is comprised of widely
spaced molecules in rapid
motion. Collisions of
molecules with the walls are
responsible for the gas
pressure.

• This simple model of gases is the basis of

the kinetic-molecular theory
 Simplest kinetic model is based
on the assumptions that:
(1) the gas is composed of a large number of
identical molecules moving in random
directions, separated by distances that are
large compared with their size;
(2) the molecules undergo perfectly elastic
collisions (no energy loss) with each other and
with the walls of the container, but otherwise do
not interact; and
(3) the transfer of kinetic energy between molecules
is heat.
GAS PRESSURE
• Recall the pressure is a force per unit area
force
pressure 
area
• The earth exerts a gravitational force on
everything with mass near it
• What we call weight is the gravitational
force acting on an object
• The pressure due to air molecules colliding
with an object is called the atmospheric
pressure
Atmospheric pressure is
measured with a
barometer. A Torricelli
barometer consists of a
glass tube sealed at one
end, about 80 cm in
length. The tube is filled
with mercury, capped,
inverted, and the capped
end immersed in a pool of
mercury. When the cap is
removed the atmosphere
supports the column of
mercury about 760 mm
high.
• The height of the mercury column varies
with altitude
• The average pressure at sea level or the
standard atmosphere (atm) was defined
as the pressure needed to support a column
of mercury 760 mm high measures at 0 oC
• The SI unit of pressure is the pascal (Pa)
1N 2
1 Pa   1 N m
1 m2
1 atm  101,325 Pa (exactly)
• You may encounter a number of pressure
units
• The standard atmosphere is
o
760 mm Hg (measured at 0 C)
760 torr
101,325 Pa  101.325 kPa
1.013 bar  1013 mb
14.7 lb in  2
• Chemical reactions often involve gases
• A manometer is used to measure the
pressure inside closed containers

Open-end manometer. (a) The pressure of the trapped gas,

Pgas equals the atmospheric pressure, Patm. Trapped gas
pressure (b) higher and (c) lower than atmospheric pressure.
GAS VOLUME
Volume
GAS TEMPERATURE
 Temperature
• The temperature of a gas is determined
using a thermometer. It is usually expressed
in three units, the degree Celsius (oC),
degree Fahrenheit (oF) and Kelvin (K).
• However, only Kelvin is used in
computations involving the temperature of a
gas.
Amount of Gas
Amount of Gas
Diffusion and Effusion
Diffusion
Effusion
• Diffusion is the • Effusion is the
random motion of movement of gas
molecules by molecules
which there is a through a tiny
net flow hole
of matter from a
region of
high concentratio
n to a region of
low concentration
• The faster the molecules, the
faster diffusion and effusion
occur
• Thomas Graham studied
effusion
(a) Diffusion (b) Effusion
When different gases have
the same temperature, they
have the same average
kinetic energy.
Note that heavier gases move
slower than lighter gases
 Absolute zero, temperature at
which a thermodynamic system has
the lowest energy. It corresponds to
−273.15 °C on the Celsius
temperature scale and to −459.67 °F
on the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
 an “ideal gas” at constant
pressure would reach zero
volume at what is now called
the absolute zero of
temperature