State Boyle's law for a fixed mass of gas.

At constant temperature, pressure is inversely proportional to volume (p ∝ 1/V or pV = constant).

What mathematical relationship does Boyle's law predict between pressure and volume?

pV = constant, meaning if volume decreases, pressure increases in inverse proportion (halving V doubles p), and vice versa.

State Charles's law for a fixed mass of gas.

At constant pressure, volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature (V ∝ T or V/T = constant).

Why must temperature be measured in kelvin when applying Charles's law?

Because volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature; using Celsius would give incorrect proportionality since Celsius does not start at absolute zero.

State the pressure law for a fixed mass of gas.

At constant volume, pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature (p ∝ T or p/T = constant).

What happens to the pressure of a fixed volume of gas if its absolute temperature doubles?

The pressure doubles, since pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature at constant volume.

AQA A-Level Physics 7408

Measurements and Their Errors

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Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics

Ideal gases

8 things to know
Papers 2 and 3

Overview

Boyle's and Charles's laws, pV = nRT and pV = NkT, absolute zero, and work done by a gas.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Numbers

What do Boyle's law and Charles's law each state for a fixed mass of gas?

Numbers

What do N and n stand for in the gas equations, and what is absolute zero?

Numbers

When is pV = NkT used instead of pV = nRT, and when is W = pΔV valid?

Numbers

What is the value and unit of the molar gas constant, and how is the Boltzmann constant defined?

Key term

What are molar mass and molecular mass, and what units does molar mass take?

Numbers

How are molar mass and molecular mass related, and why is one so much larger?

Key term

What does extrapolating a Charles's law graph to zero volume indicate?

Key term

Under what conditions do real gases approximate ideal gas behaviour?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
State Boyle's law for a fixed mass of gas.
Model answer
At constant temperature, pressure is inversely proportional to volume (p ∝ 1/V or pV = constant).
2
What mathematical relationship does Boyle's law predict between pressure and volume?
Model answer
pV = constant, meaning if volume decreases, pressure increases in inverse proportion (halving V doubles p), and vice versa.
3
State Charles's law for a fixed mass of gas.
Model answer
At constant pressure, volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature (V ∝ T or V/T = constant).
4
Why must temperature be measured in kelvin when applying Charles's law?
Model answer
Because volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature; using Celsius would give incorrect proportionality since Celsius does not start at absolute zero.
5
State the pressure law for a fixed mass of gas.
Model answer
At constant volume, pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature (p ∝ T or p/T = constant).
6
What happens to the pressure of a fixed volume of gas if its absolute temperature doubles?
Model answer
The pressure doubles, since pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature at constant volume.

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