Gases

Learn about the general properties of gases and become familiar with the Ideal Gas Law, Boyle's Law, Law of Charles and Gay-Lussac, and Dalton's Law.

A gas is a state of matter with no defined shape or volume. The properties of a gas depend on several variables, such as temperature, pressure and volume. This study guide outlines the concepts and laws dealing with the chemistry of gases.

From your About Chemistry Guide, this is a concise description of ideal gas properties and equations for the Ideal Gas Law, Boyle's Law, Law of Charles and Gay-Lussac, and Dalton's Law.

Here is a look at what the Ideal Gas Law is and how to use the equation for both real and ideal gases.

Here are simple instructions for preparing common gases from ordinary chemicals. The gases include carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorine, and several others.

The halogens are a specific group of nonmetals with some distinctive properties.

Get information about the properties shared by the noble or inert gases.

Avogadro's Law is a specific instance of the Ideal Gas Law in which volume is directly proportional to the number of moles at constant temperature and pressure. Here's how to solve a direct proportion problem using Avogadro's Law.

Here's an introduction to Boyle's Law, as well as a worked example problem and links to related resources.

Here's a quick and easy science project you can do: make a cloud inside a bottle. This simple project uses water vapor and smoke from a match to help form a cloud.

Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, or Dalton's Law, states that the total pressure of a gas in a container is the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases in the container. Here is a worked example problem showing how to use Dalton's Law to calculate the pressure of a gas.

Here are some worked examples of Ideal Gas Law chemistry problems plus links to formulas for working gas problems and related chemistry tools and resources.

Here is an example of an ideal gas problem where the temperature of the gas is held constant.

Here is an example of an ideal gas problem where the pressure of the gas is held constant.

Here is an example of an ideal gas problem where the volume of the gas is held constant.

This is an example demonstrating how to determine the partial pressure of a gas in a mixed system of gases.

This is an example of a problem where element or compound is unknown, but the mass and gas properties pressure, volume and temperature are known.

This example uses the ideal gas law to determine the number of moles of an ideal gas present in a system where pressure, volume and temperature are known.

Do you understand the ideal gas laws? Here's a ten question multiple choice quiz you can take to test your knowledge.

Sulfur hexafluoride is a non-toxic, invisible gas that you can use to perform interesting chemistry demonstrations. Breathe it in and make your voice much deeper when you talk. Pour it into a container and float an airplane or a ship on 'nothing'.

These are instructions for preparing ammonia gas from ammonium chloride and calcium hydroxide in water.

These are instructions for preparing carbon dioxide gas from calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid.

These are instructions for preparing chlorine gas from potassium permanganate and hydrochloric acid.

You know you can put out a candle flame by pouring water on it. In this science magic trick, the candle will go out when you pour 'air' onto it.

Place a ketchup packet in a bottle of water and make it rise and fall at your command, as if by magic. Of course, the magic involves some basic science. Here's how to do the diving ketchup trick and how it works.

Here's an explanation of what STP is in chemistry and why it is useful, particularly when dealing with gases.