The Ideal Gas Law

Investigating the behavior of PV = nRT and experimental error

Suppose we trap 10 mL of
air at 1.0 atm and 298K in a
syringe.

1
0

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The Analysis ToolPak must be

loaded for this spreadsheet
to function - see the last tab.

Pressure - Volume Relationship

Error
T (K) =

298

n=

0.00041

V/1000

0.003

3.34

0.005

2.01

0.007

1.43

10

0.01

1.00

12

0.012

0.84

15

0.015

0.67

18

0.018

0.56

20

0.02

0.50

(mL)

(L)

(atm)

Pressure, atm

none

high
PV

4.0
3.33
3.5
2.00
3.0
1.43
2.5
1.00
2.0
0.83
1.5
0.67
1.0
0.56
0.5
0.50
0.0

10.03
10.03

y = 10.031x-1.000
R = 1.000
10.03

10.03
10.03

10.03

10.03
10.03
10.03
10.03

10

12

14

16

18

Volume, mL

reference line at 298 K and 0.00041 moles

If #VALUE appears in this column, you need to load the Analysis ToolPak, see last tab!

Sinex 2005

20

10.03

(mean)

0.00

(range)

Volume - Temperature Relationship

Error
P (atm) =

1.0

n=

0.00041

10
V

V*1000

-23

0.0084

8.42

8.41525

-13

0.0088

8.75

8.75186

-3

0.0091

9.09

9.08847

0.0094

9.43

9.42508

17

0.0098

9.76

9.76169

27

0.0101

10.10

10.0983

37

0.0104

10.43

10.43491

47

0.0108

10.77

10.77152

57

0.0111

11.11

67

0.0114

11.44

11.10813
-300
11.44474

77

0.0118

11.78

11.78135

(oC)

(L)

(mL)

y = 0.0337x + 9.1895
R = 1

high
V/T
-0.3659

14

-0.6732

12
1.34644
10

Volume, mL

none

-3.0295

-3.02949
8

1.3464
0.5742

0.3740

0.2820

0.2292

0
-250

-200

-150

-100

-50

50

100

0.1949
0.1708
0.1530

Temperature, oC

reference line at 1.0 atm and 0.00041 moles

x-intercept =

-273.0

from the regression results (blue line)

(oC)

Sinex 2005

Volume - Temperature Relationship

Error
P (atm) =

1.0

n=

0.00041

10
T

V*1000

0.0084

8.42

260

0.0088

8.75

12
8.75186

270

0.0091

9.09

280

0.0094

9.43

290

0.0098

9.76

9.08847
10
9.42508
8

300

0.0101

10.10

310

0.0104

10.43

320

0.0108

10.77

330

0.0111

11.11

340

0.0114

11.44

11.44474 0

350

0.0118

11.78

11.78135

(L)

high
V/T

y = 0.0337x
R = 1

0.0337
0.0337

Volume, mL

250

14
8.41525

(kelvin)

none

0.033661

0.0337

0.033661

0.0337

9.76169
6
10.0983
4
10.43491
2
10.77152
0
11.10813

0.0337
0.0337
0.0337
0.0337
50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0.0337
0.0337
0.0337

Temperature, K

(mL)
reference line at 1.0 atm and 0.00041 moles

Sinex 2005

0.0337

(mean)

0.0000

(range)

Volume - Moles Relationship

Error
P (atm) =

1.0

T (K) =

298

10
V

V*1000

0.0001

0.0024

2.45

0.0002

0.0049

4.89

0.0003

0.0073

7.34

0.0004

0.0098

9.79

0.0005

0.0122

12.23

0.0006

0.0147

14.68

0.0007

0.0171

0.0008

none

30
2.44658
25
4.89316

high

y = 24466x
24465.8 R = 1

24466

24465.8

24466

V/n

7.33974
20
9.78632
15

24466

Volume, mL

24466
24466

17.13

12.2329
10
14.67948
5
17.12606

0.0196

19.57

0
19.57264

24466

0.0009

0.0220

22.02

22.01922 0

0.0010

0.0245

24.47

(mole)

(L)

24.4658

24466
24466
0.0002

0.0004

0.0006

0.0008

0.001

24466
24466

Moles

(mL)
reference line at 1.0 atm and 298K.

Sinex 2005

24466

(mean)

(range)

Density - Molar Mass Relationship

Error
P (atm) =

1.0

T (K) =

298

10
MM

He

0.163

Ne

20

0.817

Ar

40

1.635

Kr

81

3.311

Xe

131

5.354

Rn

222

9.074

(g/mole)

(g/L)

10
0.163
9
0.817
8
7
1.635
6
3.311
5
5.354
4
3
9.074
2
1
0

high

y = 0.0409x + 1E-15
R = 1
0.040873

D/MM

0.041

0.041
0.041

Density

Gas

none

0.041

0.041

0.041

0.041
0.041

50

100

150

200

Molar Mass

reference line at 1.0 atm and 298K.

Sinex 2005

250

0.041

(mean)

0.000

(range)

Finding the Molar Mass of Air

Atmospheric Composition
MM

fraction

dinitrogen

28.0

1.00

28.0

dioxygen

32.0

0.00

0.0

carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide

44.0

0.00

0.0

water vapor

water vapor

18.0

0.00

0.0

dinitrogen
dioxygen

1.00
"air"

28.0

Composition

0.345

69

100.0%

N2

0.0%

O2

0.0%

CO2

0.0%

H 2O

(g/mole)
Using the sliders adjust the
composition to
their values in air.

Sinex 2005

The Distribution of Velocities in One Mole of Gas (6 x 1023 particles)

Gas 1 Temperature =

Molar Mass =

Gas 2 Temperature =

Molar Mass =

1.0E+00

velocity

Gas 1

9.0E-01

y-variable?

Gas 2

Gas 1

Fraction of particles

0 #DIV/0! ####

25
50
75

8.0E-01

Gas 2

#DIV/0! ####
7.0E-01 ####
#DIV/0!
6.0E-01 ####
#DIV/0!

5.0E-01 ####
100 #DIV/0!
200 #DIV/0!
4.0E-01 ####
300 #DIV/0!
3.0E-01 ####
400 #DIV/0!
2.0E-01 ####
500 #DIV/0!
1.0E-01 ####
500 0.0E+00
#DIV/0! ####
700 #DIV/0! ####
0
850 #DIV/0! ####

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Velocity (m/sec)

1000 #DIV/0! ####

2000 #DIV/0! ####
3000 #DIV/0! ####
4000 #DIV/0! ####

Gas 1

most probable velocity =

#DIV/0! m/sec

average velocity = #DIV/0! m/sec

5000 #DIV/0! ####

Gas 2

most probable velocity =

#DIV/0! m/sec

average velocity = #DIV/0! m/sec

6000 #DIV/0! ####

7000 #DIV/0! ####
8000 #DIV/0! ####
9000 #DIV/0! #### Calculations based on Adamson, A Textbook of Physical Chemistry (1973).

Sinex 2005

10000 #DIV/0! ####

12500 #DIV/0! ####
15000 #DIV/0! ####
17500 #DIV/0! ####
20000 #DIV/0! ####
22500 #DIV/0! ####
25000 #DIV/0! ####
27500 #DIV/0! ####
30000 #DIV/0! ####
40000 #DIV/0! ####
50000 #DIV/0! ####
60000 #DIV/0! ####
70000 #DIV/0! ####
80000 #DIV/0! ####
90000 #DIV/0! ####
100000 #DIV/0! ####
110000 #DIV/0! ####
120000 #DIV/0! ####
130000 #DIV/0! ####
140000 #DIV/0! ####
150000 #DIV/0! ####
160000 #DIV/0! ####
170000 #DIV/0! ####
180000 #DIV/0! ####
190000 #DIV/0! ####
200000 #DIV/0! ####
250000 #DIV/0! ####
300000 #DIV/0! ####

How does the PV/RT ratio vary for a gas?

For one mole of gas (n = 1.00 mol), PV=RT or PV/RT = ?
ideal gas

helium

carbon dioxide

1.6 ideal

How would it plot?

ammonia

0.5000

helium
carbon
ammonia
FALSE
ideal
heliumdioxide
carbon dioxide
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0 FALSE

1.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

FALSE

1.5000
1.2

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

FALSE

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

5.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

10.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

25.0000
0.6

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

50.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

1.4

PV/RT

2.0000

1.0
3.0000
0.8

0.4
75.0000
100.0000
200.0000

0 0.000025 0.0000
50

75
0.0000

100 0
Pressure
0

125

Check the box to plot.

ammonia0
0

150

175

200

Do helium, carbon dioxide, and ammonia behave as ideal gases? Why or why not?

Sinex 2005

Real Gas Behavior

One method to deal with real gas behavior is to correct the ideal gas law. This is known as van der Waals equation.
1

n2a
P 2 V nb nRT
V

a = corrects for molecular attractions

For 1.00 L of 1.00 mole of gas:

T (K) =

What happens if a = 0 and b = 0?

answer

b = corrects for the volume of the molecules or excluded volume

298

a=

0.034

b=

0.024

10
P

PV/RT

0.5

1.000

1.001

1.5

1.001

1.002

1.003

1.005

10

1.009

25

Error
1.100

0.05%

1.100

0.09%

1.100

0.14%

1.000
0.900
1.500
1.000
0.900
1.0001.000 0.900

1.100

0.18%

1.100

0.28%

1.100

0.46%

1.100

0.93%

1.024

1.000
0.900
0.500
1.000
0.900

1.100

2.37%

50

1.051

1.0000.000 0.900

1.100

5.11%

75

1.086

1.000

0
0.900

50
1.100

100

1.132

1.000

0.900

1.100

200

1.499

1.000

0.900

1.100

300

2.339

1.000

0.900

1.100

PV/RT

1.0002.500 0.900
1.000
0.900
2.000
1.000
0.900

100

150

200

250

300

8.59%
13.17%

Pressure

49.95%
133.92%

within 10% error from ideal gas behavior

Calculation from Adamson, A Textbook of Physical Chemistry (1973)
Sinex 2005

then select