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Ideal Gas Equation

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Estimated time: 18 minutes
  • Introduction
  • Definition: Ideal Gas Equation
  • Law: Boyle's Law
  • Law: Charles' Law
  • Law: Gay-Lussac's Law
  • Deriving the Ideal Gas Equation
  • Formula Combines GAs Law
  • Example
  • Real-Life Applications
  • Key Points: Ideal Gas Equation
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Introduction

Gases are everywhere — in the air we breathe, the tyres of our vehicles, the pressure cookers in our kitchens, and even the hot air balloons that float across the sky. Unlike solids and liquids, gases can be compressed, expanded, and heated in ways that dramatically change their behaviour.

Three measurable properties define the state of any gas:

Property Symbol What It Measures SI Unit
Pressure P Force exerted by gas molecules per unit area on container walls Pascal (Pa)
Volume V Space occupied by the gas
Temperature T Measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules Kelvin (K)
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Definition: Ideal Gas Equation

“The relation between three properties of a gas, i.e., pressure, volume and temperature, is called the ideal gas equation.”

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Law: Boyle's Law — Pressure & Volume

Statement:

For a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature, the pressure is inversely proportional to the volume.

Mathematically, P ∝ \[\frac {1}{V}\] ⇒ PV = constant

Graph: P vs V (Isotherm)

Boyle's Law PV Graph showing hyperbolic isotherms

This means: squeezing a gas into a smaller space increases its pressure. Doubling the pressure halves the volume.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Law: Charles' Law — Volume & Temperature

Statement:

The volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature if the pressure is kept constant.

Mathematically, V ∝ T ⇒ \[\frac {V}{T}\] = constant

Graph: V vs T (Isobar)

A straight line through the origin when using Kelvin. All lines converge at 0 K (absolute zero).

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Law: Gay-Lussac's Law — Pressure & Temperature

Statement:

The pressure of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature if volume is kept constant.

Mathematically, P ∝ T ⇒ \[\frac {P}{T}\] = constant

This means: heating a gas in a sealed (rigid) container increases its pressure.

Graph: P vs T (Isochore)

Gay-Lussac's Law P vs T graph showing straight line
P vs T graph at constant volume — a straight line through the origin (Kelvin scale).

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Deriving the Ideal Gas Equation

Step-by-Step Derivation

  1. From Boyle's Law (at constant T): V ∝ \[\frac {1}{P}\]  ...(i)
  2. From Charles' Law (at constant P): V ∝ T  ...(ii)
  3. Combining (i) and (ii): V ∝ \[\frac {T}{P}\]
  4. Introducing the proportionality constant R (for 1 mole): V = \[\frac {RT}{P}\]
  5. Rearranging: PV = RT (for 1 mole)  ...(4)
  6. For n moles of gas: PV = nRT
    where:
    p = pressure (Pa)
    V = volume (m³)
    n = number of moles of gas
    R = universal gas constant = 8.31JK-1mol-1
    T = absolute temperature (K)

This is the Ideal Gas Equation — also known as the equation of state of an ideal gas.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Formula: Combined Gas Law

\[\frac{P_1V_1}{T_1}=\frac{P_2V_2}{T_2}\]

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Example

Problem: The pressure reading in a thermometer at the steam point is 1.367 × 103 Pa. What is pressure reading at the triple point, knowing the linear relationship between temperature and pressure?

Solution:
Step 1: Convert steam point to Kelvin: T = 273.15 + 100 = 373.15 K

Step 2: Using Gay-Lussac's Law (P ∝ T):
\[\frac {P_{triple}}{T_{triple}}\] = \[\frac {P}{T}\]

Step 3: Solve:
Ptriple = \[\frac {273.16}{373.15}\] × 1.367 × 103

Answer: Ptriple = 1.000 × 103 Pa
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Real-Life Applications

  • Bicycle Pump (Boyle’s Law): Decreasing air volume increases pressure, pushing air into the tyre.
  • Syringe (Boyle’s Law): Pulling the plunger in increases the volume and lowers the pressure, drawing liquid into the syringe.
  • Scuba Diving (Boyle’s Law): As depth increases, water pressure increases and the air volume in the lungs decreases.
  • Hot Air Balloon (Charles’ Law): Heating air increases its volume, making the balloon rise.
  • Bread Baking (Charles’ Law): Gas expands when heated, causing dough to rise and become fluffy.
  • Car Tyres in Summer (Gay-Lussac’s Law): Higher temperature increases air pressure inside tyres.
  • Pressure Cooker (Gay-Lussac’s Law): Heating increases steam pressure in a sealed pot, cooking food faster.
  • Airbags (Ideal Gas Law): Rapid expansion of gas inflates airbags to protect passengers during a crash.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Key Points: Ideal Gas Equation

  • An ideal gas has point-mass molecules, no intermolecular forces, and perfectly elastic collisions.
  • Boyle's Law (constant T): PV = constant — pressure and volume are inversely proportional.
  • Charles' Law (constant P): V/T = constant — volume and temperature are directly proportional.
  • Gay-Lussac's Law (constant V): P/T = constant — pressure and temperature are directly proportional.
  • The Ideal Gas Equation, PV = nRT, combines all three laws into a single universal relationship.
  • The Universal Gas Constant R = 8.314 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ is the same for all ideal gases.
  • Real gases approximate ideal behaviour at low pressure and high temperature.
  • Always use absolute temperature (Kelvin) in gas law calculations. T(K) = T(°C) + 273.15

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