Combined Gas Law
Ck12 Science
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Printed: May 14, 2015
AUTHOR
Ck12 Science
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C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Combined Gas Law
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Combined Gas Law
• State the combined gas law.
• Use the law to calculate parameters in general gas problems.
What keeps things cold?
The modern refrigerator takes advantage of the gas laws to remove heat from a system. Compressed gas in the coils
(see above) is allowed to expand. This expansion lowers the temperature of the gas and transfers heat energy from
the material in the refrigerator to the gas. As the gas is pumped through the coils, the pressure on the gas compresses
it and raises the gas temperature. This heat is then dissipated through the coils into the outside air. As the compressed
gas is pumped through the system again, the process repeats itself.
Combined Gas Law
To this point, we have examined the relationships between any two of the variables of P, V , and T , while the
third variable is held constant. However, situations arise where all three variables change. The combined gas law
expresses the relationship between the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a fixed amount of gas. For a
combined gas law problem, only the amount of gas is held constant.
P ×V
=k
T
and
P1 ×V1 P2 ×V2
=
T1
T2
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Sample Problem: Combined Gas Law
2.00 L of a gas at 35°C and 0.833 atm is brought to standard temperature and pressure (STP). What will be the new
gas volume?
Step 1: List the known quantities and plan the problem.
Known
•
•
•
•
•
P1 = 0.833 atm
V1 = 2.00 L
T1 = 35◦ C = 308 K
P2 = 1.00 atm
T2 = 0◦ C = 273 K
Unknown
• V2 =? L
Use the combined gas law to solve for the unknown volume (V2 ). STP is 273 K and 1 atm. The temperatures have
been converted to Kelvin.
Step 2: Solve
First, rearrange the equation algebraically to solve for V2 .
V2 =
P1 ×V1 × T2
P2 × T1
Now substitute the known quantities into the equation and solve.
V2 =
0.833 atm × 2.00 L × 273 K
= 1.48 L
1.00 atm × 308 K
Step 3: Think about your result.
Both the increase in pressure and the decrease in temperature cause the volume of the gas sample to decrease. Since
both changes are relatively small, the volume does not decrease dramatically.
It may seem challenging to remember all the different gas laws introduced so far. Fortunately, Boyle’s, Charles’s,
and Gay-Lussac’s laws can all be easily derived from the combined gas law. For example, consider a situation where
a change occurs in the volume and pressure of a gas while the temperature is being held constant. In that case, it can
be said that T1 = T2 . Look at the combined gas law and cancel the T variable out from both sides of the equation.
What is left over is Boyle’s law:
P1 × V1 = P2 × V2 . Likewise, if the pressure is constant, then P1 = P2 and canceling P out of the equation leaves
Charles’s law. If the volume is constant, then V1 = V2 and canceling V out of the equation leaves Gay-Lussac’s law.
Summary
• The combined gas law shows the relationships among temperature, volume, and pressure.
• PT1V1 1 = PT2V2 2
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Chapter 1. Combined Gas Law
Practice
Work on the problems at the link below:
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/WKS001_007_146637.pdf
Review
Questions
1. What is the only thing held constant in a combined gas law problem?
2. If you want to solve for the volume of a gas (V2 ) and P1 is greater than P2 , would you expect V2 to be larger or
smaller than V1 ?
3. What would be the equation for finding P2 given all the other parameters?
• combined gas law: Expresses the relationship between the pressure, volume, and absolute temperature of a
fixed amount of gas.
References
1. User:Calipper/It.Wikipedia. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frigorifero_Ignis_componenti.JPG .
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