Gay-Lussac's Law (Pressure-temperature law)
Description
The pressure of a gas of fixed mass and fixed volume is directly proportional to the gas’ absolute temperature. If a gas’s temperature increases, then so does its pressure if the mass and volume of the gas are held constant.
For comparing the same substance under two different sets of conditions, the law can be written as: P1/P2=T1/T2.
This law holds true because temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance; as the kinetic energy of a gas increases, its particles collide with the container walls more rapidly, thereby exerting increased pressure.
Variables
P1 | pressure of the gas under conditions 1 (N/m2) |
T1 | temperature of the gas under conditions 1 (K) |
P2 | pressure of the gas under conditions 2 (N/m2) |
T2 | temperature of the gas under conditions 2 (K) |