CHEM 1701 – Lab 7 – Gas Laws

Chemistry I for Pre-Health Sciences (online)

By Giulia Barros 100638389
____/10 marks (6% of final grade)
Rationale
The purpose of this lab is to explore the gas laws and their application in a healthcare context.

Learning objectives
The following learning objectives are covered in this lab.
 CLO 8: Prepare for and conduct laboratory experiments to investigate scientific questions using
appropriate techniques.
 LO 7.1 Given the density formula, perform calculations based on the property of gas density
 LO 7.2 Given the required conversion factor, perform unit analysis to convert between pressure units in
kPa, mmHg and atm
 LO 7.3 Given the required formula, perform calculations to convert between temperature units of
degrees Celsius and Kelvin
 LO 7.4 Explain the direct and indirect/inverse relationships between pressure, volume and temperature
of gases
 LO 7.5 Given their respective formulas, perform calculations based on Boyle's law, Charles's law and
Gay-Lussac's law
 LO 7.6 State applications of gas law chemistry in the human body

Procedure & Observations

 Be sure to review the lab in its entirety before beginning.
 Throughout the lab you are required to photograph parts of your experiment and
include these photos in your final submission.

Handing in your lab

When complete, submit your work to the appropriate folder in DC Connect under Activities  Assignments.

Other notes
 Refer to the rubric provided in DC Connect for details on grading
 A maximum 10% penalty may be applied for spelling, grammar and mechanics.
 When rounding final answers, apply the rounding rules as discussed in this course.
 Make sure all answers are in full sentences using appropriate scientific terminology.

All materials needed throughout this lab:

 bottle with a small opening (opening must be smaller than the size of a dime)
 dime
 large bowl
 ice and water

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Experiment 1 – The Bottle and the Dime
Background: A “closed container” like a bottle with a lid on it has a constant volume. No air can get in or out.
In a “closed container” like this, we can explore the relationship between pressure and temperature of a gas.
Here you will experiment using a glass bottle and a setup like the one in the image shown below.

Materials
 bottle with a small opening (opening must be smaller than the size of a dime)
 dime
 large bowl
 ice and water

Procedure & Observations

1. Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and enough water to cover the ice. Place a bottle
(preferably glass) in the ice water bath for 3 minutes. Photograph your ice water bath and bottle.

2. After 3 minutes, remove the bottle from the ice water bath. Working quickly, place a little water
around the rim of the bottle. Then place a dime on the bottle opening so it seals the bottle.
Photograph your bottle and dime.

Ice water bath with bottle Bottle with dime

3. Warm the bottle by holding it between your hands for 2 minutes.

4. Observe what happens and complete the data and analysis section below.

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Data & Analysis

1. This demonstration shows the relationship between gas temperature and gas pressure. Therefore, this
experiment demonstrates Gay-Lussac’s law.

2. What did you observe happen to the dime while holding the bottle in your hands? Comment in 1-2 full
sentences.

While holding the bottle with my hands, the coin started to vibrate and jump up and
down. Even after removing my hands from the bottle, the coin kept vibrating and
jumping on the opening of the bottle.

3. What was happening to the air in the bottle in the ice water bath? What was happening to the air in the
bottle when you were warming the bottle with your hands?

Ice water bath Warming in hands

The air inside the bottle started to cool down. As the bottle warmed up, the pressure inside
When the air cools, the pressure lowers. Air the bottle increased. Thermal expansion
molecules inside the bottle are more constant changed the properties of the air molecules
(fewer molecules are bouncing around) and inside the bottle. Therefore, the air particles in
closely together, lowering the pressure inside the bottle began to move around more
the bottle. rapidly.

4. Use the template below to draw how the air particles look at each temperature. HINT: You can use the
“Draw” function in the menu bar in Word.

Cooled bottle Warmed bottle

5. Use the words increases, decreases, direct and indirect to fill in the blanks below.
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 As variable 1 increases , variable 2 increases.

Therefore, the relationship between the variables is linear.

Experiment 2 – Balloon Bonanza

Background: Have you ever had a birthday party to attend in the winter? Have you ever tried to transport a
balloon outside in the cold? Have you ever noticed what happens to a balloon when it goes from a warm
environment in the store to a cold environment outside? If not, this experiment will help you predict what might
happen.

Procedure: Watch the video below and answer the questions that follow.

Video [stop at 3:36]: https://youtu.be/NplVuTrr59U

Data & Analysis

6. This demonstration shows the relationship between gas temperature and gas volume. Therefore, this
experiment demonstrates Charles’ law.

7. What did you observe happen to the balloon while in the beaker of hot water? Comment in 1-2 full
sentences.

The more temperature increases, the more the volume of the balloon increases. Therefore,
the size of the balloon increases. The air molecules inside the balloon get excited and move
further apart, increasing the volume of space they take up.

8. Use the template below to draw how the air particles in the balloon look at each temperature. HINT: You
can use the “Draw” function in the menu bar in Word.

Room temperature balloon Balloon in hot water Balloon in freezer

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9. The boiling point of water is 100oC. Convert this value to Kelvin. Show all work for full marks.

K= oC + 273.15
K= 100 oC + 273.15
K= 373.15 K

10. You are in a party store buying a birthday balloon. Using the observations from this experiment, predict
what would happen to the volume of the balloon when you walk it to your car in the winter when it is cold
outside.

The volume of the balloon will decrease when I go outside in the winter. The outside
temperature is cold and will decrease the temperature of the air inside the balloon.
Therefore, the size of the balloon will decrease.

11. Use the words increases, decreases, direct and indirect to fill in the blanks below.

As temperature increases, volume increases. Therefore, the

relationship between temperature and gas volume is linear.

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Health Connection Questions
Respiration is driven by Boyle’s law. The process is shown in the diagram below.

Inspiration Expiration

diaphragm moves down diaphragm moves up

12. Use the diagrams to fill in the blanks below. Include proper units.

a. What is the external pressure in diagram? 760 mmHg

b. What is the internal pressure during inspiration? 757 mmHg

c. What is the internal pressure during expiration? 763 mmHg

d. What is the difference between the internal and external pressure during inspiration? 17 mmHg

e. What is the difference between the internal and external pressure during expiration? 3 mmHg

13. Use the words up, down, increases, decreases, in and out to fill in the blanks below.

a. Inspiration causes the diaphragm to move down. This is shown in the image on the left. When this
happens, the size of the thoracic cage increases and internal pressure decreases. As a result, air
moves in.

b. Expiration causes the diaphragm to move up. This is shown in the image on the right. When this
happens, the size of the thoracic cage decreases and internal pressure increases. As a result, air
moves out.

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 As always, for full marks, you must show all work in the short answer questions below.

14. You are working as a paramedic on New Year’s Eve in Oshawa. You arrived at a 911 call to find a
patient unconscious and difficulty breathing. One intervention you decide is to administer oxygen
immediately. It has been a busy night though and you are concerned you may need to use the
oxygen tank again on the next call.

The oxygen in the tank is under high pressure. The oxygen tank in the ambulance has a physical
volume of 4.7 L and an internal pressure of 13,700 kPa. The external pressure (the pressure 4.7 L
outside of the cylinder) is atmospheric pressure, 101.3 kPa.

a. Use the information above to identify the variables P1, V1 and P2.

Internal tank conditions External tank conditions

P1 13,700 kPa P2 101.3 kPa

V1 4.7 L V2 ???

b. Rearrange Boyle’s law to solve for V2.

P1V1=P2V2
V2 = P1V1/P2

c. Using the data and rearranged equation to solve for V2, calculate the volume the gas would occupy
at atmospheric pressure. This represents the useable amount of oxygen. Round your answer to 3
digits (the nearest litre).

V2 = [(13,700 kPa)(4.7 L)]/101.3 kPa

V2= 64390kPaL/101.3
V2 = 635.636723 L
V2~ 636 L

d. If the average basal rate of oxygen consumption for an adult is 15 L/hour, how many hours of
oxygen use will you get from the tank? Round your answer to 1 decimal place.

636 L/15L = 42.4h

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