In our very first topic at the beginning of the semester, we looked at states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases). We saw that a gas has neither fixed shape nor volume – a gas will disperse to fill the entire volume of whatever container it is placed in, regardless of shape. We will now take a closer look at gases (we will also take a closer look at liquids and solids in Unit 5 near the end of the semester).
We will begin our look at gases with a look at the properties we use to describe their behavior: temperature, pressure, and volume. We will then look at gas laws – a set of laws that summarize relationships between these properties — and calculations and predictions that can be made using gas laws. We will then apply the concept of stoichiometry to gases and look at what happens when gases are mixed. Next, we’ll examine the the theory used to explain why gases behave the way they do. We will end with a look at how the gas laws can be modified for use at very low temperatures and high pressures.
