Cameron Miranda
The laws describing the behaviour of gases under fixed pressure, volume, amount, and absolute temperature conditions are called gas laws. The basic gas laws were discovered by the end of the 18th century, with Robert Boyle's systematic study of the relationship between the volume and pressure of a fixed amount of gas at a constant temperature, known as Boyle's Law, being published in 1662. Since then, numerous other scientists have contributed to the development of gas laws, including Jacques Charles, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, John Dalton, Amedeo Avogadro, Émile Clapeyron, and Johannes van der Waals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Creation | Early 17th century |
| Creator | Robert Boyle |
| Formula | P1V1=P2V2 |
| PV=nRT | |
| P = K·M | |
| Ptotal= P1 + P2 + … | |
| Pi = partial pressure or pressure of the component gas at the given volume and temperature | |
| Vi = partial volume, or volume of the component gas at the given pressure and temperature |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
John Dalton's Law
John Dalton (1776–1844) was motivated by his interest in the weather to study gases. He was the first to observe that the pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum of the pressures of the individual gases in the mixture. This observation became known as Dalton's Law, or the Law of Partial Pressures.
Dalton's Law states that in a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases. In other words, each gas exerts its own pressure on the system, and these pressures can be added together to find the total pressure of the mixture. This relationship can be expressed mathematically as:
> ptotal = p1 + p2 + p3 + ...
Where p1, p2, p3, etc. represent the partial pressures of each component gas. This equation can also be written in terms of the mole fraction of each component in the mixture:
> pi = ptotal xi
Where xi is the mole fraction of the ith component. Dalton's Law is based on the kinetic theory of gases, which assumes that gases do not interact or exert intermolecular forces of attraction. In reality, real gases do not always follow Dalton's Law, particularly at high pressures and low temperatures, where gases are more likely to react and change the pressure of the system.
Dalton's Law is related to the ideal gas laws, which describe the behaviour of an ideal gas. An ideal gas is a theoretical substance that helps establish the relationship between pressure (P), volume (V), the amount of gas (n), and temperature (T). In an ideal gas situation, the equation PV = nRT holds, where R is the universal gas constant. While real gases do not behave exactly like ideal gases, they tend to exhibit ideal gas behaviour at low pressures and relatively high temperatures.
Hammurabi: The First Code of Laws
You may want to see also
Explore related products
William Henry's Law
Henry's law is defined by the equation Sg = kPg, where Sg is the solubility of the gas and Pg is the pressure of the gas. The proportionality factor in the equation is called Henry's law constant, which changes when the temperature of a system changes. The law holds only for dilute solutions and low gas pressures.
Henry's law is applicable in various real-world scenarios. For example, it explains the depth-dependent dissolution of oxygen and nitrogen in the blood of underwater divers, which changes during decompression. If the supersaturation is too great, bubbles may form and grow, leading to decompression sickness. Another example is carbonated soft drinks, which contain dissolved carbon dioxide. Before opening, the gas above the drink in its container is almost pure carbon dioxide, at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. When the container is opened, the pressure decreases to atmospheric pressure, causing the solubility to decrease and the carbon dioxide to form bubbles that escape the liquid.
Henry's law does have certain limitations. For instance, it does not apply when there is a chemical reaction between the solute and solvent. Additionally, it is generally applicable when the solute concentration is low, and it does not hold for electrolytic solutions.
The Pharaoh's Legacy: Creating Laws
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac's Laws
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac was a French chemist and physicist who formulated two laws related to gases. Born in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, France, on December 6, 1778, Gay-Lussac became one of the greatest European scientists of his day, making numerous discoveries in chemistry and physics.
Gay-Lussac's first law, discovered in 1808 and published in 1809, is known as the law of combining volumes of gases. It states that when gases react chemically, they do so in amounts by volume that bear small whole-number ratios, with the volumes calculated at the same temperature and pressure. For example, Gay-Lussac found that two volumes of hydrogen react with one volume of oxygen to form two volumes of water. This law is sometimes referred to as Gay-Lussac's law or the law of Charles and Gay-Lussac.
Gay-Lussac's second law, published in 1802, relates the pressure of a gas to its temperature. This law is based on Amontons' Law, which states that over the range from freezing to boiling water, the pressure increases by about one-third. Gay-Lussac's work built upon Amontons' discovery by experimenting with multiple types of common gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Gay-Lussac's law on pressure and temperature can be expressed as ΔV/V = αΔT, where ΔV/V represents the rate of expansion and α is the rate of expansion per degree Celsius.
Gay-Lussac's contributions to the field of gases also included his work on hydrogen-balloon ascents, where he reached a height of 7,016 meters (23,018 feet) in 1804. He collected air samples at different heights to study variations in temperature and moisture. In 1805, he collaborated with Alexander von Humboldt to discover that water is formed by two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen by volume. Gay-Lussac also developed new techniques for analysis and made notable advances in applied chemistry, earning him recognition as a pioneer in the investigation of gas behaviour.
The Evolution of Law: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Jacques Charles' Law
Jacques Charles, a French physicist, studied the effect of temperature on the volume of a gas at constant pressure. Charles's Law, also known as Gay-Lussac's Law or the second gas law, was formulated around 1787. It states that the volume of a given mass of gas varies directly with the absolute temperature of the gas when pressure is kept constant. In other words, the volume occupied by a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature if the pressure remains constant.
The Kelvin scale must be used to measure absolute temperature because zero on the Kelvin scale corresponds to a complete stoppage of molecular motion. Charles's Law can be used to compare changing conditions for a gas. The mathematical relationship of Charles's Law can be represented by the following equation:
> V1/T1 = V2/T2
Where V1 and T1 stand for the initial volume and temperature of a gas, and V2 and T2 stand for the final volume and temperature. This equation can be used to calculate any one of the four quantities if the other three are known. The direct relationship will only hold if the temperatures are expressed in Kelvin.
Charles's interest in hot-air balloons led to his discovery of the relationship between temperature and volume. After hearing about the Montgolfier brothers' successful flight in 1783, Charles immediately tried to duplicate the performance. As a result of his work with balloons, he noticed that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature.
Sumptuary Laws: Historical Origins and Social Control
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Robert Boyle's Law
The formula for Boyle's Law is written as P1V1=P2V2, where P1 and V1 represent the original pressure and volume, respectively. This law is based on experiments with air, which Boyle considered to be a fluid of particles at rest between small invisible springs. He used a closed J-shaped tube and poured mercury from one side, forcing the air on the other side to contract under the pressure of the mercury.
Boyle's Law is often used to explain how the breathing system works in the human body. This involves explaining how the lung volume may be increased or decreased, thereby causing a relatively lower or higher air pressure within them, in keeping with Boyle's Law.
Boyle's Law combines with two other gas laws and Avogadro's Law to be generalized by the ideal gas law. The ideal gas law is the combination of three simple gas laws and helps establish the relationship between four gas variables: pressure (P), volume (V), the amount of gas (n), and temperature (T).
Hammurabi: The First Mesopotamian Law Code
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Boyle's Law was created by Robert Boyle in 1662. It states that the volume of a given mass of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure at a constant temperature.
Charles' Law, or the law of volumes, was founded in 1787 by Jacques Charles. It states that the volume of a given mass of gas at constant pressure is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
Avogadro's Law was created by Amedeo Avogadro (1776–1856). It states that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain the same number of molecules.
