Gas Variables

How are the variables that describe a gas related?

Why?
Imagine buying a balloon bouquet at a party store. How will the helium gas in the bouquet behave if you
carry it outside on a hot summer day? How will it behave if you carry it outside during a snowstorm?
What happens if the balloons are made of latex, which can stretch? What happens if the balloons are made
of Mylar®, which cannot stretch? What if you add just a small amount of gas to each balloon? What if you
add a lot of gas? In this activity, you will explore four variables that quantify gases—pressure (P), volume
(V), temperature (T), and moles (n) of gas. These four variables can be related mathematically so that
predictions about gas behavior can be made.

Model 1 – Gases in a Nonflexible Container

Experiment A (Adding more gas)
 

A1 A2 A3
Volume = 1 unit Volume = 1 unit Volume = 1 unit
External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm
Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 2 atm Internal pressure = 3 atm
Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K
Experiment B (Heating the gas)
 

B1 B2 B3
Volume = 1 unit Volume = 1 unit Volume = 1 unit
External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm
Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 2 atm Internal pressure = 3 atm
Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 400 K Temperature = 600 K
*Note: Volume in this model is recorded in units rather than liters because 4 molecules of gas at the conditions given would oc-
cupy a very small space (~1 × 10–22 μL). The particles shown here are much larger compared to the space between them
than actual gas particles.

Gas Variables 1
 1. In Model 1, what does a dot represent?

2. Name two materials that the containers in Model 1 could be made from that would ensure that
they were “nonflexible?”

3. In Model 1, the length of the arrows represents the average kinetic energy of the molecules in
that sample. Which gas variable (Pinternal, V, T or n) is most closely related to the length of the
arrows in Model 1?

4. Complete the following table for the two experiments in Model 1.

Experiment A Experiment B

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Controlled Variable(s)

5. Of the variables that were controlled in both Experiment A and Experiment B in Model 1, one
requires a nonflexible container. Name this variable, and explain why a nonflexible container is
necessary. In your answer, consider the external and internal pressure data given in Model 1.

Read This!
Pressure is caused by molecules hitting the sides of a container or other objects. The pressure changes
when the molecules change how often or how hard they hit. A nonflexible container is needed if the gas
sample is going to have an internal pressure that is different from the external pressure. If a flexible con-
tainer is used, the internal pressure and external pressure will always be the same because they are both
pushing on the sides of the container equally. If either the internal or external pressure changes, the flex-
ible container walls will adjust in size until the pressures are equal again.

2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

 6. Name the two factors related to molecular movement that influence the pressure of a gas.

7. Provide a molecular-level explanation for the increase in pressure observed among the flasks of
Experiment A.

8. Provide a molecular-level explanation for the increase in pressure observed among the flasks of
Experiment B.

9. Predict what would happen to the volume and internal pressure in Experiment A of Model 1 if a
flexible container were used.

10. Predict what would happen to the volume and internal pressure in Experiment B of Model 1 if a
flexible container were used.

11. For each experiment in Model 1, determine the relationship between the independent and depen-
dent variables, and write an algebraic expression for the relationship using variables that relate to
the experiment (Pinternal, V, T or n). Use k as a proportionality constant in each equation.

Experiment A Experiment B

Direct or Inverse Proportion?

Algebraic Expression

Gas Variables 3
Model 2 – Gases in a Flexible Container
Experiment C
(Adding more gas)  

C1 C2 C3
Volume = 1 unit Volume = 2 units Volume = 3 units
External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm
Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 1 atm
Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K
Experiment D
(Heating the gas)  

D1 D2 D3
Volume = 1 unit Volume = 2 units Volume = 3 units
External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 1 atm
Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 1 atm
Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 400 K Temperature = 600 K
Experiment E
Reducing the
external pressure  
on the gas)

E1 E2 E3
Volume = 1 unit Volume = 2 units Volume = 3 units
External pressure = 1 atm External pressure = 0.50 atm External pressure = 0.33 atm
Internal pressure = 1 atm Internal pressure = 0.50 atm Internal pressure = 0.33 atm
Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K Temperature = 200 K

12. a. Name two materials that the containers in Model 2 could be made from that would ensure
that they were “flexible”?

b. What is always true for the external and internal pressures of a gas in a flexible container?

4 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

 13. Complete the following table for the three experiments in Model 2.
Experiment C Experiment D Experiment E
Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Controlled Variable(s)

14. Provide a molecular level explanation for the increase in volume among the balloons in Experi-
ment C. (How often and/or how hard are the molecules hitting the sides of the container?)

15. Provide a molecular level explanation for the increase in volume among the balloons in
Experiment D.

16. Provide a molecular level explanation for the increase in volume among the balloons in
Experiment E.

17. Compare Experiment A of Model 1 with Experiment C of Model 2. How are these two
experiments similar and how are they different in terms of variables?

18. Compare Experiment B of Model 1 with Experiment D of Model 2. How are these two
experiments similar and how are they different in terms of variables?

19. If Experiment E of Model 2 were done in a nonflexible container, would there be any change to
the internal pressure of the flask when the external pressure was reduced? Explain.

Gas Variables 5
 20. For each experiment in Model 2, determine the relationship between the independent and
dependent variables, and write an algebraic expression for the relationship using variables
that relate to those in the experiment (Pinternal, V, T or n). Use k as a proportionality constant
in each equation.
Constant Pressure
Experiment C Experiment D Experiment E
Direct or Inverse Proportion?

Algebraic Expression

21. The three samples of identical gas molecules below all have the same internal pressure. Rank the
samples from lowest temperature to highest temperature, and add arrows of appropriate size to
illustrate the average kinetic energy of the molecules in the samples.

6 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

Extension Questions
22. Draw a sample of gas that is colder than all three of the samples in Question 21. Explain why
you are sure that it is colder.

23. Four of the relationships you investigated in Models 1 and 2 are named after scientists who
discovered the relationships. Use the Internet or your textbook to match each of the scientists
below with the appropriate law. Write the algebraic expression that describes the law in the box
below each name.

Robert Boyle Jacques Charles Guillaume Amontons Amadeus Avogadro

Read This!
Chemists combine all of the relationships seen in Models 1 and 2 into one law—the Ideal Gas Law. It is
one equation that describes gas behavior and the relationship among all four variables, P, V, T, and n. In
the Ideal Gas Law the proportionality constant is represented by the letter R (rather than the generic k).

24. Circle the algebraic equation below that best combines all of the relationships you identified
among P, V, T, and n in this activity.
P = RTnV PT = RnV PV = nRT PTV = Rn

Gas Variables 7