1045 General Chemistry - Fall 2001, Prof. Gelb
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Chapter 5 Study Guide


Chapter 5 presents the modern theory of gases. Gases are the lowest-density "phase" of matter, and as such have a number of unique properties which made them particularly suitable for many early chemistry experiments, and many fundamental chemistry principles were discovered by studying gases. The study of gases involves measurements of volume and temperature, which we have seen before, and pressure, which is introduced in this chapter. The central relationships between these quantities, Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, and the Ideal Gas Law, are introduced here, as is Avogadro's hypothesis, that equal volumes of gases at the same P and T contain equal numbers of molecules. Finally, partial pressures and their use in stoichiometry are discussed, and the microscopic picture is further developed in terms of the kinetic theory of gases.

Suggested Problems

The following problems (in the textbook) are illustrative of the important concepts covered in this chapter, and are of comparable (or greater!) difficulty with what you might see on homeworks or exams: Chapter 5, problems 31, 32, 35, 37, 43, 44, 48, 53, 56, 59, 67, 71, 73, 74, 76, 82, 88, 89, 91, 95, 96, 101, 104, 107-110, 121.

Physics Review

Many concepts from physics are introduced or used here, such as force, energy, momentum, etc. For a low-level review of these subjects, check out The Physics Classroom.

You should be able to:

  1. Manipulate and rearrange the Gas Laws
  2. Use the Gas Laws to solve P,V,T problems
  3. Use and convert between "L,atm" type units and "J, Pa" type units
  4. Explain the behavior of gases in terms of the kinetic theory
  5. Calculate partial pressures and mole fractions
  6. Do stoichiometry in the gas phase
  7. Work with gas densities
You should know the ideal gas law and the two frequently used values of R.

Important topics and Concepts

  1. Nature of Gases
    • Gases have low density
    • Gas molecules don't interact much with each other.
  2. Pressure
    • Definition of pressure
    • Common units of pressure
    • Columns of liquid and manometers
  3. Gas Laws
    • Boyle's Law
    • Charles's Law
    • Avogadro's Hypothesis
    • Ideal Gas Law
    • When the Ideal Gas Law is applicable
    • Know your Gas Constants !
    • ... and how to use them!
  4. Gases in reactions
    • Law of combining volumes
  5. Partial Pressures and mole fractions
  6. Kinetic Theory of Gases
    • Qualitative explanation of the PVT relationships.
    • Temperature is a measure of molecular speed
    • RMS velocity as a function of T, M
    • Rate's of Diffusion & Graham's Law






Last modification: Wed Oct 17 08:10:16 2001
gelb@chem.fsu.edu