Gases are one of the three common states of matter, along with solids and liquids. They have the following properties:
Several gas laws describe the behavior of gases under different conditions:
The ideal gas law is a combination of the above gas laws and is expressed by the equation:
PV = nRT
Where:
Gases may behave differently from ideal gases under certain conditions. Deviations from ideal behavior are described by the van der Waals equation and other corrections.
Gas stoichiometry involves the calculation of the amounts of reactants and products in chemical reactions involving gases. The ideal gas law is often used in these calculations.
Gases can mix together to form gas mixtures. The behavior of gas mixtures can be described using Dalton's law of partial pressures and Graham's law of effusion and diffusion.
Knowledge of gas behavior is important in various real-life applications, including the behavior of gases in car engines, the storage and transport of gases in industry, and the behavior of gases in the atmosphere.