To understand Gay-Lussac's Law, let's consider a closed container with a fixed amount of gas. If the temperature of the gas is increased, the gas particles will have more kinetic energy and will collide with the walls of the container more frequently and with greater force, thus increasing the pressure.On the other hand, if the temperature is decreased, the gas particles will have less kinetic energy, resulting in fewer and less forceful collisions with the container walls, leading to a decrease in pressure.
Mathematical Representation
The mathematical representation of Gay-Lussac's Law is given by the equation:
\[ \frac{P_1}{T_1} = \frac{P_2}{T_2} \]
Where:
- P1 and T1 are the initial pressure and temperature, respectively.
- P2 and T2 are the final pressure and temperature, respectively.This equation shows that the ratio of the pressure to the temperature is constant as long as the volume and amount of gas are kept constant.
Application and Study Guide
To apply Gay-Lussac's Law and understand its implications, consider the following study guide questions:
What happens to the pressure of a gas when its temperature is decreased while keeping the volume constant?
Using the equation for Gay-Lussac's Law, calculate the final pressure of a gas at 300 K if its initial pressure was 2 atm and the temperature was raised to 400 K.
Describe a real-life scenario where Gay-Lussac's Law is applicable and explain how it manifests in that situation.