1 The properties of gases
Solutions to exercises
Discussion questions
E1.1(b) The partial pressure of a gas in a mixture of gases is the pressure the
... [Show More] gas would exert if it occupied
alone the same container as the mixture at the same temperature. It is a limiting law because it holds
exactly only under conditions where the gases have no effect upon each other. This can only be true
in the limit of zero pressure where the molecules of the gas are very far apart. Hence, Dalton’s law
holds exactly only for a mixture of perfect gases; for real gases, the law is only an approximation.
E1.2(b) The critical constants represent the state of a system at which the distinction between the liquid
and vapour phases disappears. We usually describe this situation by saying that above the critical
temperature the liquid phase cannot be produced by the application of pressure alone. The liquid and
vapour phases can no longer coexist, though fluids in the so-called supercritical region have both
liquid and vapour characteristics. (See Box 6.1 for a more thorough discussion of the supercritical
state.)
E1.3(b) The van der Waals equation is a cubic equation in the volume, V . Any cubic equation has certain
properties, one of which is that there are some values of the coefficients of the variable where the
number of real roots passes from three to one. In fact, any equation of state of odd degree higher
than 1 can in principle account for critical behavior because for equations of odd degree in V there
are necessarily some values of temperature and pressure for which the number of real roots of V
passes from n(odd) to 1. That is, the multiple values of V converge from n to 1 as T → Tc. This
mathematical result is consistent with passing from a two phase region (more than one volume for a
given T and p) to a one phase region (only one V for a given T and p and this corresponds to the
observed experimental result as the critical point is reached.
Numerical exercises
E1.4(b) Boyle’s law applies.
pV = constant so pfVf = piVi
pf = piVi
Vf
= (104 kPa) × (2000 cm3)
(250 cm3)
= 832 kPa
E1.5(b) (a) The perfect gas law is
pV = nRT
implying that the pressure would be
p = nRT
V
All quantities on the right are given to us except n, which can be computed from the given mass
of Ar.
n = 25 g
39.95 g mol−1
= 0.626 mol
so p = (0.626 mol) × (8.31 × 10−2 L barK−1 mol−1) × (30 + 273K)
1.5L
= 10.5 bar
not 2.0 bar.
4 INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
(b) The van der Waals equation is
p = RT
Vm − b
− a
V2m
so p = (8.31 × 10−2 L barK−1 mol−1) × (30 + 273)K
(1.5L/0.626 mol) − 3.20 × 10−2 L mol−1
− (1.337 L2 atm mol−2) × (1.013 bar atm−1)
(1.5L/0.62¯6 mol)2
= 10.4 bar
E1.6(b) (a) Boyle’s law applies.
pV = constant so pfVf = piVi
and pi = pfVf
Vi
= (1.48 × 103 Torr) × (2.14 dm3)
(2.14 + 1.80) dm3
= 8.04 × 102 Torr
(b) The original pressure in bar is
pi = (8.04 × 102 Torr) ×
1 atm
760 Torr
×
1.013 bar
1 atm
= 1.07 bar
E1.7(b) Charles’s law applies.
V ∝ T so
Vi
Ti
= Vf
Tf
and Tf = VfTi
Vi
= (150 cm3) × (35 + 273)K
500 cm3
= 92.4K
E1.8(b) The relation between pressure and temperature at constant volume can be derived from the perfect
gas law
pV = nRT so p ∝ T and
pi
Ti
= pf
Tf
The final pressure, then, ought to be
pf = piTf
Ti
= (125 kPa) × (11 + 273)K
(23 + 273)K
= 120 kPa
E1.9(b) According to the perfect gas law, one can compute the amount of gas from pressure, temperature,
and volume. Once this is done, the mass of the gas can be computed from the amount and the molar
mass using
pV = nRT
so n = pV
RT
= (1.00 atm) × (1.013 × 105 Pa atm−1) × (4.00 × 103 m3)
(8.3145 JK−1 mol−1) × (20 + 273)K
= 1.66 × 105 mol
and m = (1.66 × 105 mol) × (16.04 g mol−1
) = 2.67 × 106 g = 2.67 × 103 kg
E1.10(b) All gases are perfect in the limit of zero pressure. Therefore the extrapolated value of pVm/T will
give the best value of R.
THE PROPERTIES OF GASES 5
The molar mass is obtained from pV = nRT = m
M
RT
which upon rearrangement gives M = m
V
RT
p
= ρ
RT
p
The best value of M is obtained from an extrapolation of ρ/p versus p to p = 0; the intercept is
M/RT .
Draw up the following table
p/atm (pVm/T )/(L atmK−1 mol−1) (ρ/p)/(gL−1 atm−1)
0.750 000 0.082 0014 1.428 59
0.500 000 0.082 0227 1.428 22
0.250 000 0.082 0414 1.427 90
From Fig. 1.1(a),
pVm
T
p=0
= 0.082 061 5 L atmK−1 mol−1
From Fig. 1.1(b),
ρ
p
p=0
= 1.42755 g L−1 atm−1
8.200
8.202
8.204
8.206
0 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.0
8.20615
m
Figure 1.1(a)
1.4274
1.4276
1.4278
1.4280
1.4282
1.4284
1.4286
1.4288
0 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.0
1.42755
Figure 1.1(b)
6 INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
M = RT
ρ
p
p=0
= (0.082 061 5 L atm mol−1 K−1
) × (273.15K) × (1.42755 g L−1 atm−1
)
= 31.9987 g mol−1
The value obtained for R deviates from the accepted value by 0.005 per cent. The error results from
the fact that only three data points are available and that a linear extrapolation was employed. The
molar mass, however, agrees exactly with the accepted value, probably because of compensating
plotting errors.
E1.11(b) The mass density ρ is related to the molar volume Vm by
Vm = M
ρ
where M is the molar mass. Putting this relation into the perfect gas law yields
pVm = RT so
pM
ρ
= RT
Rearranging this result gives an expression for M; once we know the molar mass, we can divide by
the molar mass of phosphorus atoms to determine the number of atoms per gas molecule
M = RTρ
p
= (62.364 L TorrK−1 mol−1) × [(100 + 273) K] × (0.6388 g L−1)
120 Torr
= 124 g mol−1
.
The number of atoms per molecule is
124 g mol−1
31.0 g mol−1
= 4.00
suggesting a formula of P4
E1.12(b) Use the perfect gas equation to compute the amount; then convert to mass.
pV = nRT so n = pV
RT
We need the partial pressure of water, which is 53 per cent of the equilibrium vapour pressure at the
given temperature and standard pressure.
p = (0.53) × (2.69 × 103 Pa) = 1.4¯3 × 103 Pa
so n = (1.43 × 103 Pa) × (250m3)
(8.3145 JK−1 mol−1) × (23 + 273)K
= 1.45 × 102 mol
or m = (1.45 × 102 mol) × (18.0 g mol−1
) = 2.61 × 103 g = 2.61 kg
E1.13(b) (a) The volume occupied by each gas is the same, since each completely fills the container. Thus
solving for V from eqn 14 we have (assuming a perfect gas)
V = nJRT
pJ
nNe = 0.225 g
20.18 g mol−1
= 1.115 × 10−2 mol, pNe = 66.5 Torr, T= 300K
V = (1.115 × 10−2 mol) × (62.36 L TorrK−1 mol−1) × (300K)
66.5 Torr
= 3.137L = 3.14 L
THE [Show Less]