Physics Factsheet

www.curriculumpress.co.uk

April 2002

Number 34

The Gas Laws

Charles law

This Factsheet will explain:

how Boyles Law is arrived at experimentally;
how Charles Law is arrived at experimentally;
the Kelvin temperature scale;
how the Pressure Law is arrived at experimentally;
how these three are combined into the Universal Gas Law;
how to use the Gas Laws to do simple calculations.

Fig. 1 Apparatus for investigating the volume of a fixed mass of gas at

different temperatures

Before studying this Factsheet, you should have an idea of how particles are
arranged in solids, liquids and gases and know that because the particles in
a gas are far apart they can be pushed together easily. You should know that
gases exert a pressure on the walls of their container by the particles hitting
the walls. You should know that pressure = force/area. You should also be
familiar with the Celsius scale of temperature and the concept of a mole of
a substance (you find the moles of a substance by dividing its mass in
grammes by its molecular mass).

Ruler

Thermometer

Column of air trapper

by a bead of conc.
sulphuric acid

Beaker of water of
variable temperature

Boyles law
From your knowledge of how particles are arranged in a gas it should seem
likely that if you decrease the volume of a gas, its pressure will increase,
because the particles will have less far to travel between hitting the walls and
so will hit the walls more often. It was Robert Boyle who investigated this
effect more carefully using a thick-walled pressure vessel with variable
volume, which could be altered by turning a screw. The pressure was
measured using a manometer. He arrived at the result that the pressure of
a fixed mass of gas is inversely proportional to its volume. i.e. if you halve
the volume the pressure will double, provided that the temperature does not
change. This can also be expressed as:

The apparatus shown in fig.1 can be used to find the volume of a fixed mass
of gas at different temperatures. When the results are plotted on a graph of
temperature, in 0C, against volume, as in Fig.2 a) the result is a straight line
but it does not go through the origin. When the graph is replotted to show
the intercept on the temperature axis, as in Fig.2 b) it is found that the
intercept is at 273.16 OC. This temperature is known as absolute zero and
it represents the temperature at which the volume of the gas would be zero.

pV = constant

Boyle's Law:
For a fixed mass of gas at constant temperarure PV = constant

Fig. 2 Volume against temperature for a fixed mass of gas at constant

pressure
a)

Typical Exam Question

1. 5l of a gas is at a pressure of 1 atmosphere. What will its volume
be if the pressure is increased to 1.5 atmosphere, with no change
in temperature?

Volume

pV = constant, so 5 1 = V 1.5
5
So V =
= 3.33l
1.5
0

2. A gas occupies a volume of 3l at a pressure of 1.9 atmosphere.

What pressure would reduce its volume to 1.6l assuming there
is no change in temperature?

Temperature/oC

b)
Volume

pV = constant, so 3 1.9 = P 1.6

3 1.9
= 3.56 atmos
So p =
1.6

-273

Temperature/oC

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The Gas Laws

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It is very important to realize that in extrapolating the graph to absolute zero

you are making the assumption that the gas continues to behave in exactly
the same manner. A gas that does this is called an ideal gas. In practice, no
gases behave exactly as ideal gases, but many approximate to ideal gas
behaviour, so the concept is useful.

The Pressure law

So far we have considered:
a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature and found a relationship for
p and V

The Kelvin Temperature Scale

If we shift the origin of the graph to absolute zero, then the graph of volume
against temperature becomes a straight line through the origin. This means that
we can say that volume is proportional to the new temperature. This new
temperature scale is called the kelvin temperature scale (also the absolute
temperature scale) and is arrived at by adding 273 to the temperature in oC

a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure and found a relationship for V

and T

Not surprisingly, there is also a relationship between p and temperature for

a fixed mass of gas at constant volume. This is known as the Pressure law.
Plotting p against temperature in oC for a fixed mass of gas results in an
intercept on the temperature axis of 273.16, just as for V against temperature.
So using temperature on the kelvin scale applies to the Pressure law as well.

Practice Question
The Pressure law:
p
For a fixed mass of gas at a constant volume:
= constant
T

1. Give the following Celsius temperatures in kelvin

b) 94 0C
c) 120 0C
a)
23 0C
a)
b)
c)

23 0 C = 23 + 273 = 296K
94 0C = 94 + 273 = 367K
120 0C = 120 + 273 = 393K

Typical Exam Question

The temperature of a fixed volume of gas at a pressure of 2.0 105
Pa is increased from 23 0C to 37 0C. What will be the new pressure?

2. Give the following kelvin temperatures in 0 C

a)
420K
b) 368K c) 420K
a)
b)
c)

p
= constant, so
T
p
2.0 105
=
296
310

420K = 420 273 = 147 C

368K = 368 273 = 95 0C
315K = 315 273 = 42 0C

p=
Provided the temperatures are on the kelvin scale, we can express Charles
law as:
V T

2.0 105 310

= 2.1 105 Pa
296

Exam Hint: You may find volumes quoted in litres or m3, pressures quoted
in atmospheres or pascals (Pa) 1 Pa = 1Nm-2. If you are using Boyle's
or the Pressure Law, just leave it in whatever unit it is given in.

Charles' Law:
For a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure
V T where

The Ideal Gas Equation.

The three gas laws can be combined into a single equation, which can cope
with a change in more than one variable at once. This combination is known
as the ideal gas equation. It can be stated as:

V is the volume
T is the temperature (Kelvin (K))

pV = constant for 1mole of gas

T

Exam Hint: Always remember to use kelvin temperatures for any gas
calculations. The symbol T is used for a temperature in Kelvin.

The constant for 1 mole of gas is known as the molar gas constant, R and
has the value 8.3 JK-1mole-1
Typical Exam Question
The temperature of 1 litre of gas is raised from 10 oC to 20 oC.
What will be its volume at the higher temperature, if the pressure
is kept constant?

If there is more than 1 mole of gas then we need to multiply by the number
of moles.
The final statement of all this information is: pV = nRT, where n is the number
of moles.

V
is constant.
V T, so
T
1 = V
283
293
293
V=
= 1.04l
283

The ideal gas equation:

pV = nRT Where

p = pressure in Pa ,
V = volume in m3
n = the number of moles of gas
R = the molar gas constant
T = the temperature in kelvin.

Exam Hint: In using the ideal gas equation, it does matter which units
you use. When the pressure is in Pa the volume must be in m3 and the
temperature in K otherwise R would not be 8.3 JK-1mol-1.

The Gas Laws

Physics Factsheet
www.curriculumpress.co.uk

Exam Workshop

Typical Exam Question

This is a typical poor students answer to an exam question. The

comments explain what is wrong with the answers and how they can be
improved. The examiners mark scheme is given below.

a) State the conditions under which p, the pressure of a gas is

proportional to T, the absolute temperature.
[2]

a) State and explain the ideal gas equation.

pV = nRT


b) A bottle of gas has a pressure of 200 kPa above atmospheric

pressure at a temperature of 00 C.
The atmospheric pressure is 102kPa. Calculate the new pressure
[3]
in the bottle when the temperature rises to 250 C.

[2]
1/2

c) A mass of gas is at a pressure of 100 kPa and a temperature of 24o C.

If it occupies a volume of 10litres, how many moles of gas are
present? Take R= 8.31 J mol-1 K-1
[3]

Although correct, this is insufficient for both marks. The candidate

should have explained the meaning of the terms and stated that this
is for an ideal gas.

a) p is proportional to T for a fixed mass of gas
, which approximates

sufficiently closely to ideal gas behaviour. i.e. at low pressure

b) Explain why it is necessary, when using the gas laws, to express

the temperature on the kelvin temperature scale.
[2]
Because it wont work otherwise. 
0/2

b) p = 302kPa
, T = 273K
New T = 298 K

This has not answered the question. The examiner is looking for
an understanding that for proportionality, the graph must be a
straight line, through the origin, so the origin must be shifted to
where the graph cuts the temperature-axis.

302 = p

298
273
302 298
p=
= 329.7kPa

273
c) pV = nRT
100kPa = 100 103 Pa and 10 l = 10 10-3m3

100 103 10 10-3 = n 8.31 297

1000
n = 8.31 297 = 0.4 moles

c) The volume of a balloon containing gas is 0.4l at a temperature

of 15oC, and a pressure of 101kPa. What will be the new volume
of the balloon, if the temperature rises to 25o C and the pressure
decreases to 95kPa?
[3]
pV
= constant
T
so 101 0.4
95 V
=
15
25
101 0.4 25
= 6396.7l

 
1/3
V=
15 95

Questions
1

The candidate is using the correct method but, despite the gentle
reminder in part b) s/he has forgotten to convert the temperature
into K and has then made a calculator error by multiplying by 95,
instead of dividing by it. The candidate should realize that this is
not a sensible figure for the answer and check his/her work.

The table gives volumes of a fixed mass of gas at various pressures.

volume/litres

12

2.4

pressure/Pa

a) Plot a graph of pressure (p) against volume (V). Plot p on the x-axis.
b) This graph looks like a y = x1 graph, suggesting that V is proportional
to 1 , to confirm this plot a graph of V against 1 .
p
p
c) What feature of the graph confirms that V is proportional to p1 ?

Examiners Answers


a) pV =

nRT where p = pressure in Pa , V = volume in m3
n = number of moles of gas, R = universal gas constant,
T = temperature in K.
This is true only for gases which approximate to ideal gas behaviour.

2. Two gas canisters contain different gases, but they are at the same
temperature, pressure and volume. Use the ideal gas equation to show
that each canister contains the same number of molecules.

b) The temperatures must be in K because, for proportionality, the graph
must be a straight line, through the origin. This happens for volume
and pressure, only if the origin is shifted to where the volume or
pressure line crosses the temperature axis i.e. 273 0C.

3. A gas canister contains a mass of 64g of oxygen at a pressure of 105 kPa and
a temperature of 220 C. What is its volume? [Take R = 8.3JK-1 mol-1 ,
relative molecular mass for oxygen is 32]

c) pV
= constant
T


so 101 0.4 = 95 V
288
298


101 0.4 298

= 0.44l
V=
(288 95)

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The Gas Laws

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c) The graph is a straight line through the origin, this confirms V is
proportional to 1/p.

Answers
1. a)

13

2. The ideal gas equation is pV = nRT. If p,V and T are all equal for the two
gases, then each must contain the same number of moles, since R is a
universal constant. If each gas has the same number of moles, then each
has the same number of molecules.

12
11
10

3. Since there are 64g of oxygen, the number of moles is 2.

pV = nRT
so 105 103 V = 2 8.3 295
V = 2 8.3 295
= 0.047 m3
105 103

9
8
V/l

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

P/Pa
b)
V/litres
1/p /Pa

-1

12

2.4

0.5

0.33

0.25

0.2

0.17

14

12

V/l

10

2
1/P /pa-1

0
0

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Acknowledgements:
This Physics Factsheet was researched and written by Janice Jones.
The Curriculum Press,Unit 305B, The Big Peg,120 Vyse Street, Birmingham, B18 6NF
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