The Gas Laws

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Pressure Noun

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[presh-er]

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Pressure

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The amount of force exerted per unit of area, often by gas particles colliding with the walls of their container.

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Example: This image shows that atmospheric pressure is caused by the weight of air particles. There are fewer particles at high altitudes, causing lower pressure.

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Volume Noun

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[vol-yoom]

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Volume

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The amount of three-dimensional space that a substance or object occupies.

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Example: This image shows how gas particles spread out to fill the entire space, or volume, of their container, a key concept for gas laws.

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Boyle's Law Noun

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[boils law]

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Boyle's Law

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A gas law stating that the pressure and volume of a gas have an inverse relationship when temperature is held constant.

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Example: This diagram shows that as the volume for a gas decreases (piston pushed down), its pressure increases, demonstrating the inverse relationship defined by Boyle's Law.

Front

Inversely Proportional Adjective

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[in-vers-lee pro-por-shun-ul]

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Inversely Proportional

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A relationship between two variables where as one value increases, the other decreases at a proportional rate.

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Example: This graph shows an inversely proportional relationship, where as one value (x-axis) increases, the other value (y-axis) decreases, like pressure and volume in a gas.

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Charles's Law Noun

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[charls-iz law]

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Charles's Law

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A gas law stating that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature when pressure is constant.

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Example: This diagram shows that as the temperature of a gas in a balloon increases (shown by the thermometer), its volume also increases, causing the balloon to expand.

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Directly Proportional Adjective

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[di-rekt-lee pro-por-shun-ul]

Back

Directly Proportional

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A relationship between two variables where as one value increases, the other also increases at a proportional rate.

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Example: This graph shows that as value B increases, value A increases at the same constant rate, represented by the straight line passing through the origin.

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Kelvin Scale Noun

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[kel-vin skayl]

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Kelvin Scale

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An absolute temperature scale used in scientific calculations where zero Kelvin (0 K) represents absolute zero.

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Example: This diagram compares the Kelvin scale to Celsius and Fahrenheit, showing key reference points like the freezing (273.15 K) and boiling (373.15 K) points of water.

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Absolute Zero Noun

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[ab-so-loot zee-roh]

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Absolute Zero

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The theoretical temperature at which all molecular motion ceases, defined as 0 K or -273.15 degrees Celsius.

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Example: This diagram shows that Absolute Zero (0 K) is the coldest possible temperature, comparing it to the Celsius (-273 °C) and Fahrenheit (-459 °F) scales.

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Gay-Lussac's Law Noun

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[gay-loo-saks law]

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Gay-Lussac's Law

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A gas law stating that the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature when volume is constant.

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Example: Heating a gas in a sealed, fixed-volume container increases the kinetic energy of its particles, causing them to collide more forcefully with the walls, thus increasing the pressure.

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Combined Gas Law Noun

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[kom-bynd gas law]

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Combined Gas Law

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A law combining Boyle's, Charles's, and Gay-Lussac's laws, relating pressure, volume, and temperature of a fixed amount of gas.

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Example: This diagram shows how the Combined Gas Law relates pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T), and how it incorporates other simpler gas laws.