Exploring the Effects of Temperature on Gas Volume

What happens to the volume of a sample of nitrogen gas when the temperature is lowered?

A. It decreases

B. It increases

C. It remains constant

Answer:

The correct answer is A. It decreases.

When the temperature of a gas sample like nitrogen is lowered, its volume decreases. This phenomenon is explained by the relationship between temperature and volume of gas, known as Charles's Law.

Charles's Law states that at constant pressure, the volume of a given amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. In simpler terms, as the temperature decreases, the volume of the gas also decreases.

In the given example where the temperature of the nitrogen gas sample was lowered from 27.0°C to -100.0°C, the volume decreased from 1.55 L to 0.894 L while the pressure remained constant at 1.00 atm. This illustrates the inverse relationship between temperature and gas volume.

Understanding the effects of temperature on gas volume is crucial in various applications like refrigeration, weather balloons, and even basic laboratory experiments. By knowing how changes in temperature influence gas volume, we can make more informed decisions in different scientific and practical scenarios.