High School Science Chemistry

The Behavior of Gases

SCoPE Site Lesson Plan

Title: Lesson 9 Ideal Gas Law (SC100609) Abstract In this lesson students explore the ideal gas law and its assumptions. They identify principles that would be used in everyday situations from the combined gas equation. They use research and discussion to deepen their understanding of the law and practice doing calculations. Subject Area: Science Grade Level and Course Title: Tenth Grade/Chemistry Unit of Study: The Behavior of Gases Benchmark Calculate and explain interactions between and among the temperature, pressure, and volume of a contained gas (IV.2.HS.5). Key Concept ideal gas law Instructional Resources Equipment/Manipulative Calculators (1 per student) Computers with Internet capabilities (1 for every two students) Variety of resources Student Resource Luoto, Heather, and Juliana Texley. Unit 6 Lesson 9 Student Pages. Teacher-made material. Lansing, MI: Michigan Department of Treasury, 2002. Park, John L. Gas Law Problems Ideal Gas Law. 1996. ChemTeam. 31 March 2005 <http://www.dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/GasLaw/WS-Ideal.html>. Teacher Resource Luoto, Heather, and Juliana Texley. Grade 10 Unit 6 Teacher Background. Teacher-made material. Lansing, MI: Michigan Department of Treasury, 2002. Park, John L. The Four Gas Law Variables: Temperature, Pressure, Volume, and Moles. 1996. ChemTeam. 31 March 2005 <http://www.dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/GasLaw/Four-GasVariables.html>.

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SCoPE SC100609 Page 1 of 3

High School Science Chemistry

The Behavior of Gases

Park, John L. The Kinetic Molecular Theory of Ideal Gases. 1996. ChemTeam. 31 March 2005 <http://www.dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/GasLaw/Basics-of-KMT.html>. Park, John L. PV=nRT: The Ideal Gas Law. 1996. ChemTeam. 31 March 2005 <http://www.dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/GasLaw/Gas-Ideal.html>. Sequence of Activities Advance Preparation: You may wish to reserve the computer lab and library for a class period. For background information, review the information at the web sites listed in the Teacher Resource section. If you can find a very large balloon, which is approximately the size of three basketballs, it makes a good visual aid. 1. To stimulate student interest, pose the following question: How many gas particles do you think there are in a 22.4 L balloon (about the volume of three basketballs)? Ask students to make a prediction and then ask them to use scientific resources to find the answer. Note: At standard temperature and pressure (STP) one mol of gas occupies a volume of 22.4 L. One mol of gas contains approximately 6.02 x 1023 particles. 2. Ask students to share their answers to the question with the class. Then tell students the following: In this unit you have studied the behavior of gases and explored the relationships between the pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas. You have learned that these relationships can be expressed mathematically and are called the Boyles Law, Charless Law, and Gay-Lussacs Law. Each of these principles or laws has applications in everyday life. Divide students into groups, and ask them to brainstorm a general principle that would govern each of the situations on the Student Pages under Brainstorming. (Depending upon the level of your class, your students may give quantitative answers or frame full sentence answers that express the ideas.) [DepressurizationStudents should identify Boyles law, which makes the inner ears Eustachian tubes swell; Alvinboth Charless and Boyles laws apply, in the combined form. The gas which is released encounters high pressure and very low temperatures; Tennis ballsCharless Law; CarburetorsBoyles Law covers lower air pressure, but students may argue validly that it is often cooler at high altitudes, too, requiring some consideration of Charless Law.] 3. Say: There are several other gas laws that help us explain the behavior of gases, but they are beyond the scope of this course. However, there is one more gas law that we are going to examine, the ideal gas law. The ideal gas law allows us to perform calculations involving moles, the amount of gas particles. Do you remember how many particles are in a mole of gas? [6.02 x 1023.] 4. Write the following on the board as you explain it to the class: The ideal gas law can be represented mathematically as PV=nRT Where P = pressure, V = volume, n = number of moles, T = temperature and R = gas constant = 0.08206 L atm/mol K.

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SCoPE SC100609 Page 2 of 3

High School Science Chemistry

The Behavior of Gases

Notice the units on R? That means you need to convert volumes to liters, pressure to atmospheres, amount to moles, and temperature to Kelvin before doing calculations involving the ideal gas law. Note: The idea of a constant will be very difficult for students at this levelthe idea that a number can be derived from real world data. You may need to spend more time on this. Many teachers use the labels (units) to explain the relationships. 5. Ask/tell students the following: So, what is an ideal gas, and what are its assumptions? With your group members use a variety of resources to answer these questions and record them in your Student Pages. Then present your answers to the class. After students present their findings, briefly discuss them with the class. Note: See background information in the Teacher Resource section. 6. Show students how to perform calculations using the ideal gas law. Use examples #1 and #2 at the PV=nRT: Ideal Gas Law web site listed in the Teacher Resource section. 7. If your students have a sound mathematics background, you may choose to continue with more practice. Ask students to practice calculations on their own using the ideal gas law and to follow the directions in their Student Pages. When students finish the calculations ask them to compare their answers with another class member. Then have them check their answers at the web site. 8. Ask students to write any questions they have about the behavior of gases or the ideal gas law in their Student Pages. Then discuss them as a class. 9. Tell students: In this lesson you explored and practiced calculations involving the ideal gas law. In the next lesson you will research practical applications of the gas laws. Assessment Ask students to write a problem that can be solved by using the ideal gas law and to figure out the answer. Then ask the students to swap problems and to compare their answers. Application Beyond School Aerodynamicists use a different value for R. Students can research what the value is and why they use it. Connections Social Studies Students may research the scientist that first wrote the ideal gas law and how that discovery affected science and society.

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SCoPE SC100609 Page 3 of 3