Example #1: 2.00 L of a gas is at 740.0 mmHg pressure.

What is its volume at

standard pressure?

Solution:

1) Use this equation:

P1V1 = P2V2

2) Insert values:

(740.0 mmHg) (2.00 L) = (760.0 mmHg) (x)

3) Multiply the left side and divide (by 760.0 mmHg) to solve for x.

x = 1.95 L (to three significant figures)

Note that the units of mmHg will cancel. x is a symbol for an unknown and,
technically, does not carry units. So do not write x L for x liters. Just keep checking to
see you are using the proper equation and you have all the right values and units.
Don't put a unit on the unknown.

Example #2: 5.00 L of a gas is at 1.08 atm. What pressure is obtained when the
volume is 10.0 L?

Solution:

Use the same technique as in Example #1:

(1.08 atm) (5.00 L) = (x) (10.0 L)

x = 0.540 L (to three sig figs)

Example #4: If we have 6.00 cm3 of gas at a pressure of 10.0 N/cm2 and we increase
the pressure to 20.0 N/cm2, what volume will the gas occupy?

Solution:

Newtons per square centimeter is not a unit you often see in chemistry, but it doesn't
matter what the unit is, just a long as both P1 and P2 are expressed using the same unit.

(10.0) (6.00) = (20.0) (x)

x = 3.00 cm3

Notice that, when the pressure was doubled, the volume was cut in half. Also, be
careful. Your teacher may want you to include the units in the problem, like this:

(10.0 N/cm2) (6.00 cm3) = (20.0 N/cm2) (x)

Example #5: What pressure is required to compress 196.0 liters of air at 1.00
atmosphere into a cylinder whose volume is 26.0 liters?

Solution:

(1.00 atm) (196.0 L) = (x) (26.0 L)

x = 7.54 atm (to three sig figs)

Bonus Example #1: A particular balloon is designed by its manufacturer to be

inflated to a volume of no more than 2.5 liters. If the balloon is filled with 2.0 liters of
helium at sea level (101.3 kPa), and rises to an altitude at which the boiling
temperature of water is only 88 degrees Celsius, will the balloon burst?

Solution:

Comment: These is no way of determining the starting temperature of the gas.

However, we know something not in the problem: at sea level, the boiling point of
water is 100 °C. So:

1) Let us use a ratio and proportion to estimate the pressure required for water to boil
at 88 °C:

100 °C is to 101.3 kPa as 88 °C is to x

x = 89.144 kPa

2) Now, we can solve the problem using Boyle's Law:

P1V1 = P2V2

(101.3) (2.0) = (88.144) (x)

x = 2.27 L

The balloon will not burst.

Comment: Boyle's Law assumes that the temperature and amount of gas are constant.
Since we never knew the starting temperature, we will assume it never changed as the
balloon rose. If the temperature actually did change, but by some unknown value, then
we cannot solve the problem.

Bonus Example #2: A spherical weather balloon is constructed so that the gas inside
can expand as the balloon ascends to higher altitudes where the pressure is lower. If
the radius of the spherical balloon is 2.5 m at sea level where the pressure is 1.004 x
105 Pa, what will be the radius at an altitude of about 10 km where the pressure of the
gas is 2.799 x 104 Pa? For simplicity, assume the temperature has not changed.

Solution:

I used P1V1 = P2V2 for this:

[(4/3)(3.14159)(2.5 m)3] (1.004 x 105 Pa) = [(4/3)(3.14159)(x)3] (2.799 x 104 Pa)

However, notice something about the two volumes shown. Each is done as the
formula for the volume of a sphere: V = (4/3)(π)(r3). Please notice that the (4/3)(π)
portion will cancel out:

(2.5 m)3 (1.004 x 105 Pa) = (x)3 (2.799 x 104 Pa)

x3 = [(15.625 m3) (1.004 x 105 Pa)] / 2.799 x 104 Pa

x3 = 56.05 m3

x = 3.8 m (to two significant figures)

Charles’s Law Problems

1) A container holds 50.0 mL of nitrogen at 25° C and a pressure of 736 mm Hg. What will be its
volume if the temperature increases by 35° C?

2) A sample of oxygen occupies a volume of 160 dm3 at 91° C. What will be volume of oxygen
when the temperature drops to 0.00° C?

3) A sample of hydrogen has an initial temperature of 50.° C. When the temperature is lowered
to -5.0° C, the volume of hydrogen becomes 212 cm3 . What was the initial volume of the
hydrogen in dm3 ?

4) 568 cm3 of chlorine at 25° C will occupy what volume at -25° C while the pressure remains
constant?

5) A sample of helium has a volume of 521 dm3 at a pressure of 75 cm Hg and a temperature of

18° C. When the temperature is increased to 23° C, what is the volume of the helium? Solutions
1) P1 = 736 mm Hg P2 = 736 mm Hg V1 = 50.0 mL V2 = ? T1 = 25° C + 273 = 298 K T2 = 25°
C + 35° C + 273 = 333 K V1/ T1 = V2/T2 V2 = V1 x T2/T1 V2 = 50.0 mL x 333 K/298 K =
55.9 mL N2 2) V1 = 160 dm3 V2 = ? T1 = 91° C + 273 = 364 K T2 = 0.00° C + 273 = 273 K
V1/ T1 = V2/T2 V2 = V1 x T2/T1 V2 = 160 dm3 x 273 K/364 K = 120 dm3 O2 3) V1 = ? V2 =
212 cm3 T1 = 50.° C + 273 = 323 K T2 = -5.0° C + 273 = 268 K V1/ T1 = V2/T2 V1 = V2 x
T1/T2 V1 = 212 cm3 x 1 dm3 /103 cm3 x 323 K/268 K = 0.256 dm3 H2 4) V1 = 568 cm3 V2
= ? T1 = 25° C + 273 = 298 K T2 = -25° C + 273 = 248 K V1/ T1 = V2/T2 V2 = V1 x T2/T1 V2
= 568 cm3 x 248 K/298 K = 473 cm3 Cl2 5) P1 = 75 cm Hg P2 = 75 cm Hg V1 = 521 dm3 V2 =
? T1 = 18° C + 273 = 291 K T2 = 23° C + 273 = 296 K V1/ T1 = V2/T2 V2 = V1 x T2/T1 V2 =
521 dm3 x 296 K/291 K = 530. dm3 He

Problem #1: A gas occupies 12.3 liters at a pressure of 40.0 mmHg. What is the
volume when the pressure is increased to 60.0 mmHg?

(40.0 mmHg) (12.3 liters) = (60.0 mmHg) (x)

x = 8.20 L

Note three significant figures.

Problem #2: If a gas at 25.0 °C occupies 3.60 liters at a pressure of 1.00 atm, what
will be its volume at a pressure of 2.50 atm?

(1.00 atm) ( 3.60 liters) = (2.50 atm) (x)

x = 1.44 L

Problem #3: To what pressure must a gas be compressed in order to get into a 3.00
cubic foot tank the entire weight of a gas that occupies 400.0 cu. ft. at standard
pressure?

(400.0 cu. ft) (1.00 atm) = (x) (3.00 cubic foot)

x = 133 atm

It doesn't matter what the volume units are. It just matters that they be the same on
each side.

Problem #4: A gas occupies 1.56 L at 1.00 atm. What will be the volume of this gas
if the pressure becomes 3.00 atm?

(1.56 L) (1.00 atm) = (3.00 atm) (x)

0.520 L

Problem #5: A gas occupies 11.2 liters at 0.860 atm. What is the pressure if the
volume becomes 15.0 L?

(11.2 liters) (0.860 atm) = (x) (15.0 L)

x = 0.642 atm

Problem #6: 500.0 mL of a gas is collected at 745.0 mmHg. What will the volume be
at standard pressure?
(745.0 mmHg) (500.0 mL) = (760.0 mmHg) (x)

x = 490.1 mL

Problem #7: Convert 350.0 mL at 740.0 mmHg to its new volume at standard
pressure.

(740.0 mmHg) (350.0 mL) = (760.0 mmHg) (x)

Problem #8: Convert 338 L at 63.0 atm to its new volume at standard pressure.

(63.0 atm) (338 L) = (1.00 atm) (x)

Problem #9: Convert 273.15 mL at 166.0 kPa to its new volume at standard pressure.

(166.0 kPa) (273.15 mL) = (101.325 kPa) (x)

Problem #10: Convert 77.0 L at 18.0 mmHg to its new volume at standard pressure.

(18.0 mmHg) (77.0 L) = (760.0 mmHg) (x)

Problem #11: When the pressure on a gas increases, will the volume increase or
decrease?

Volume will decrease.

Problem #12: If the pressure on a gas is decreased by one-half, how large will the
volume change be?

It will double in size.

Problem #13: A gas occupies 4.31 liters at a pressure of 0.755 atm. Determine the
volume if the pressure is increased to 1.25 atm.
(0.755 atm) (4.31 liters) = (1.25 atm) (x)

Problem #14: 600.0 mL of a gas is at a pressure of 8.00 atm. What is the volume of
the gas at 2.00 atm?

(8.00 atm) (600.0 mL) = (2.00 atm) (x)

Problem #15: 400.0 mL of a gas are under a pressure of 800.0 torr. What would the
volume of the gas be at a pressure of 1000.0 torr?

(800.0 torr) (400.0 mL) = (1000.0 torr) (x)