📚 Topic Summary
Gay-Lussac's Law describes the relationship between the pressure and temperature of a gas when the volume and number of moles are kept constant. It states that the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. This means if you increase the temperature of a gas in a rigid container, the pressure will increase proportionally, and vice versa. Mathematically, it's represented as $P_1/T_1 = P_2/T_2$, where $P_1$ and $T_1$ are the initial pressure and temperature, and $P_2$ and $T_2$ are the final pressure and temperature.
This law is incredibly useful for predicting how gases will behave under changing conditions, and it's applicable in scenarios ranging from inflating tires to understanding weather patterns. Let's get started with applying the law to solving some practice problems.
🧪 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the terms with their definitions:
- Terms:
- a) Pressure
- b) Temperature
- c) Absolute Temperature
- d) Direct Proportion
- e) Gay-Lussac's Law
- Definitions:
- i) A scale where zero is absolute zero (e.g., Kelvin).
- ii) The force exerted per unit area.
- iii) A relationship where one variable increases as the other increases.
- iv) A measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules.
- v) The pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature when volume is constant.
🌡️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following paragraph using the words provided (Pressure, Temperature, Constant, Kelvin, Proportional):
Gay-Lussac's Law states that when the volume and amount of gas are held __________, the __________ of the gas is directly __________ to its __________. It is important to use the __________ scale for temperature in these calculations.
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Explain, in your own words, why it's important to use the Kelvin scale when working with Gay-Lussac's Law. What would happen if you used Celsius instead?