Gases Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the properties and laws of gases, useful for understanding core concepts in gas behavior.

Gas

A collection of particles in constant, straight-line motion that assumes the volume and shape of its container.

Kinetic Molecular Theory

Explains the behavior of gases in terms of particles in constant motion; includes concepts such as no attraction between particles and that average kinetic energy is proportional to temperature.

Pressure (P)

The force exerted per unit area on the surface of an object, mathematically defined as Pressure = Force/Area.

Boyle's Law

At a constant temperature, the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume.

Charles's Law

At constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature in kelvins.

Gay Lussac's Law

At constant volume, the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature in kelvins.

Avogadro's Law

At constant temperature and pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of gas.

Ideal Gas Law

Describes the relationship between pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas, represented as PV = nRT.

Atmospheric Pressure

The force exerted by Earth's atmosphere on an object, defined as 1 atm = 101,325 Pa.

Compressibility

The ability of gases to be compressed, making them the most compressible state of matter.