The Ideal Gas Law is a fundamental equation in chemistry that describes the behavior of an ideal gas under various conditions. It relates the pressure, volume, amount of substance, and temperature of a gas, assuming it behaves ideally.
How to Calculate Using the Ideal Gas Law
To use the Ideal Gas Law in calculations, follow these steps:
Identify the known variables (pressure, volume, number of moles, or temperature)
Determine which variable you need to calculate
Apply the Ideal Gas Law equation
Solve for the unknown variable
Formula
The Ideal Gas Law is expressed mathematically as:
\[ PV = nRT \]
Where:
\(P\) is the pressure of the gas
\(V\) is the volume of the gas
\(n\) is the number of moles of the gas
\(R\) is the universal gas constant (0.08206 L⋅atm/(mol⋅K))
\(T\) is the temperature of the gas in Kelvin
Calculation Steps
Let's calculate the pressure of a gas, given:
Volume (V) = 2.0 L
Number of moles (n) = 0.5 mol
Temperature (T) = 300 K
R = 0.08206 L⋅atm/(mol⋅K)
Rearrange the Ideal Gas Law to solve for pressure:
\[ P = \frac{nRT}{V} \]
Substitute the known values:
\[ P = \frac{(0.5 \text{ mol})(0.08206 \text{ L⋅atm/(mol⋅K)})(300 \text{ K})}{2.0 \text{ L}} \]
Calculate the result:
\[ P = 6.15 \text{ atm} \]
Example and Visual Representation
Let's visualize the Ideal Gas Law with our example:
This visual representation shows:
A container of ideal gas with the calculated pressure
The volume, number of moles, and temperature of the gas
The Ideal Gas Law equation relating all variables
This example demonstrates how the Ideal Gas Law can be used to determine the pressure of a gas when its volume, number of moles, and temperature are known. It illustrates the relationship between these variables and how they interact in an ideal gas system.
Need a Custom Calculator?
We can create a free, personalized calculator just for you!