Gas Laws and Kinetic Molecular Theory

These flashcards cover key concepts related to gas behavior, gas laws, and the kinetic molecular theory necessary for understanding the properties and behaviors of gases.

Pressure

The force exerted by gas molecules colliding with surfaces or other molecules.

Kinetic Molecular Theory (KMT)

A theory that explains the behavior of gases, stating that gas is made up of small particles in constant motion, and that pressure is a result of collisions.

Boyle's Law

States that at constant temperature, the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume.

Avogadro's Law

States that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of gas when temperature and pressure are held constant.

Gas Constant (R)

A constant used in the ideal gas law, typically expressed as 0.08206 Latm/(molK).

Torr

A unit of pressure equal to 1/760 of an atmosphere.

Ideal Gas Law

An equation of state for an ideal gas, given by PV=nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the gas constant, and T is the temperature.

Partial Pressure

The pressure that a gas in a mixture would exert if it occupied the entire volume by itself.

Mole Fraction

The ratio of the number of moles of one component to the total number of moles of all components in a mixture.

Amonton's Law

States that the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature (in Kelvin) when volume is held constant.

Elastic Collisions

Collisions between gas molecules that conserve kinetic energy and do not lose energy during the process.

Molecular Weight (MW)

The weight of a molecule expressed in grams per mole.

Atmosphere (atm)

A unit of pressure defined as being precisely equal to 101,325 Pa.

Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP)

Conditions defined as 0 degrees Celsius (273.15 K) and 1 atm pressure.

Gas Density

Mass per unit volume of a gas, calculated as density = mass/volume.

Molar Volume

The volume occupied by one mole of a gas at standard temperature and pressure, approximately 22.4 L.

Compressibility

The measurement of how much a substance can be compressed under pressure.

Real Gas

A gas that does not behave ideally due to interactions between molecules or the volume occupied by molecules.