The Importance of Charles's Law in Gas Volume Calculations

How does Charles's Law play a crucial role in calculating gas volume?

When a 298.5 mL sample of carbon dioxide was heated to 385 K, its volume increased to 547.8 mL. What was its temperature at 298.5 mL?

Understanding Charles's Law in Gas Volume Calculations

Charles's Law is essential in determining the relationship between the volume and temperature of a gas under constant pressure conditions. According to Charles's Law, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.

In the given scenario, the initial volume of the carbon dioxide sample is 298.5 mL at an unknown temperature (T1), and it expands to 547.8 mL at a temperature of 385 K (T2).

To find the initial temperature (T1), we can utilize Charles's Law formula:

V1 / T1 = V2 / T2

By substituting the volume and temperature values, we can solve for T1:

298.5 mL / T1 = 547.8 mL / 385 K

After cross-multiplying and simplifying, we get the temperature at 298.5 mL as approximately 210.13 K.