CHEM 101A

SOLUTIONS TO TOPIC C PROBLEMS

1) This problem is a straightforward application of the combined gas law. In this case, the
temperature remains the same, so we can eliminate it from the combined gas law equation,
giving P1V1 = P2V2 (Boyles law).
1.33 atm 451 mL = 1.65 atm V2
Solving this equation gives V2 = 364 mL.
2) This is another application the combined gas law. Be sure to convert all temperatures to
kelvin!

744 torr 3.85 L

591 torr 4.13 L
=
304 K
T2
Solving this equation gives T2 = 259 K = 14C.
3) This is an application of the ideal gas law. We are given T and P, and we can calculate n from
mass of hydrogen. Our only unknown in the ideal gas law is then V.
the given
To begin 25.3 g of hydrogen equals 12.5496 moles (note that elemental hydrogen is diatomic, so
the molar mass is 2.016 g/mol).
When we substitute into the ideal gas law, the temperature must be in kelvins, as it is in all gas
law equations. Also, we must use the correct value of R. In this case, our pressure is given in
atm, so we use R = 0.08206 Latm/molK.
3.88 atm V = 12.5496 mol 0.08206 L atm/mol K 304 K
Solving this equation gives V = 80.7 L.
4) We can use the ideal gas law to calculate the number of moles of methane, then convert moles
into grams. However, we must first account for the fact that the methane is collected over water.
Pmethane + (vapor pressure of water) = Ptotal
To reconcile units, we convert 2645 Pa into torr:
1 atm
760 torr
2645 Pa

= 19.84 torr
101,325 Pa
1 atm
Now we can calculate the pressure that the methane exerts:
Pmethane + 19.84 torr = 731 torr
Pmethane = 711.16 torr
Next,we substitute into the ideal gas law, being sure to use a kelvin temperature. Since our
pressure is in torr, we use R = 62.36 Ltorr/molK. Using this value of R in turn means that our
volume must be in liters. (Keeping the units straight in the ideal gas law isnt actually hard at all
just be sure that the units in R match the units you use for P, V, n and T!)
711.16 torr 0.2500 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 295 K
Solving this equation gives n = 0.0096645 mol.
Finally, we convert moles into grams, using the molar mass of CH4 (16.042 g/mol). Doing so
gives us 0.155 g of methane.

5) First, we use stoichiometry to calculate the number of moles of NO2 that will be formed.
Then we use the ideal gas law to determine the volume of the NO2.
The stoichiometry gives us:

1 mol Cu
2 mol NO2

= 0.13124 mol NO2

63.55 g Cu
1 mol Cu
Now we use the ideal gas law:
1.022 atm V = 0.13124 mol 0.08206 L atm/mol K 304 K
Solving this equation gives V = 3.20 L.
4.17 g Cu

6) Each gas behaves as if the other gas was not present. When the valve is opened, the He will
expand to fill the entire system, which has a volume of 422 mL + 761 mL = 1183 mL:

817 torr 422 mL = P2 1183 mL

P2 = 291.44 torr (final pressure of He)
The Ar will also expand to fill the entire system:
685 torr 761 mL = P2 1183 mL

P2 = 440.65 torr (final pressure of Ar)

The total pressure in the container is the sum of these two partial pressures:
291.44 torr + 440.65 torr = 732 torr

7)
a) We can set up an ICE table using partial pressures whenever all of the reactants and
products are gases and the volume and temperature do not change. Doing so here gives:

C2H6
+
7 Cl2
2 CCl4
+
6 HCl
Initial
35.5 torr
318 torr
0 torr
0 torr
Change
35.5 torr
248.5 torr
+ 71.0 torr
+ 213.0 torr
End
0 torr
69.5 torr
71.0 torr
213.0 torr
The initial values are given in the problem. To find the changes, use the mole ratios. For
instance, to find the amount of Cl2 that is used up:
7 torr Cl2
35.5 torr C2H6
= 248.5 torr Cl2
1 torr C2H6
(Note that this calculation assumes that C2H6 is the limiting reactant. Since the amount of Cl2
used up is less than the amount we start with, the assumption is correct.)
To find the amount of CCl4 that is formed:

2 torr CCl 4
35.5 torr C2H6
= 71.0 torr CCl 4
1 torr C2H6
The amount of HCl that is formed is calculated similarly. Finally, we calculate the final amounts
doing arithmetic. The final mixture contains 69.5 torr Cl2, 71.0 torr CCl4, and 213.0 torr HCl.
b) The total pressure is the sum of the partial pressures, which equals 353.5 torr.
8) Since there is oxygen in the container after the reaction, we can conclude that Cr2+ is the
limiting reactant. This allows us to calculate the amount of oxygen that was consumed in the
reaction using stoichiometry.
0.131 mol Cr 2+
1 mol O2
0.0213 L

= 6.9757 10-4 mol O2 consumed

2+
1L
4 mol Cr
Now, lets calculate the number of moles of O2 in the container after the reaction, using the ideal
gas law. The volume of the oxygen is not equal to the container volume (562 mL), because the
solution occupies 21.3 mL, so the volume of the oxygen is only 540.7 mL = 0.5407 L.

119 torr 0.5407 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 294 K

Solving this equation gives n = 0.0035095 mol O2 left over

The total number of moles of oxygen in the container before the reaction was:
0.0035095 mol + 6.9757 x 10-4 mol = 0.0042071 mol O2
Finally, we can use the ideal gas law to calculate the original pressure of the oxygen. Before the
Cr2+ solution was added, the O2 occupied the entire container (562 mL = 0.562 L).
P 0.562 L = 0.0042071 mol 62.36 L atm/mol K 294 K
Solving this equation gives P = 137 torr.
9) In this problem, we must consider two processes: each gas expands to fill the entire system,
and the gases react with one another. These two processes actually occur at the same time, but
we can treat them as if they occur one at a time, with the expansion occurring first.
The C3H6 expands from 367 mL to 969 mL (367 mL + 602 mL):
663 torr 367 mL = P2 969 mL

P2 = 251.1 torr
The O2 expands from 602 mL to 969 mL:
2216 torr 602 mL = P2 969 mL

P2 = 1376.7 torr

Now, we consider the reaction. Since the volume of the entire system and the temperature are
constant, we can do our stoichiometry using partial pressures. (Note that we can not use the
pressures given in the problem to do stoichiometry!) Here is an ICE table for the reaction.

2 C3H6
+
9 O2
6 CO2
+
6 H2 O
Initial
251.1 torr
1376.7 torr
0 torr
0 torr
Change
251.1 torr
1130.0 torr
+ 753.3 torr
+ 753.3 torr
End
0 torr
246.7 torr
753.3 torr
753.3 torr
As in problem 7, I assumed that C3H6 was the limiting reactant and calculated the amount of O2
that would react:
9 torr O2
251.1 torr C3H6
= 1130.0 torr O2 consumed
2 torr C3H6
Since this amount is less than the initial O2 pressure, my assumption was correct. The amounts
of CO2 and H2O are calculated similarly.

Finally, we calculate the total pressure in the system:

246.7 torr + 753.3 torr + 753.3 torr = 1753 torr
10) This problem is similar to #9, except that we do not know the initial pressure of the oxygen.
Lets assign it a variable: the initial pressure of oxygen is x torr. Now we proceed just as we did
in problem 9.
The C3H6 expands from 617 mL to 1550 mL:
317 torr 617 mL = P2 1550 mL

P2 = 126.2 torr

The O2 expands from 933 mL to 1550 mL:

x torr 933 mL = P2 1550 mL

P2 = 0.60194x torr
Note that the final pressure of oxygen contains the variable x.
Now we consider the reaction. In this case, we have no obvious way of determining the limiting
reactant, so lets just assume that it is C3H6 and see what we get

2 C3H6
+
9 O2
6 CO2
+
6 H2 O
Initial
126.2 torr
0.60194x torr
0 torr
0 torr
Change 126.2 torr
567.8 torr
+ 378.6 torr
+ 378.6 torr
End
0 torr
(0.60194x 567.8) torr
378.6 torr
378.6 torr
The problem tells us that the total pressure after the reaction is 1133 torr. Therefore, the
expressions in the End row of our ICE table must add up to 1133 torr.
(0.60194x 567.8) + 378.6 + 378.6 = 1133
Solving this equation gives x = 1568 torr. Is this a reasonable value? If so, it should give
positive pressures for every gas in the final mixture. The pressures of CO2 and H2O are
obviously positive, but is 0.60194x 567.8 a positive number? Lets check:
0.60194(1568) 567.8 = 376.0 torr
This is a positive value, so 1568 torr is a reasonable answer.
Now lets see what we get if we assume that O2 is the limiting reactant. In this case, all of the
Change entries are going to contain x, because they will be based on the O2 pressure. For
instance, the amount of C3H6 we consume will be:
2 torr C3H6
0.60194x torr O2
= 0.13376x torr C3H6
9 torr O2
Here is the ICE table we get when we assume that O2 is the limiting reactant:

2 C3H6
+
9 O2
6 CO2
+
6 H2 O
Initial
126.2 torr
0.60194x torr
0 torr
0 torr
Change
0.13376x torr
0.60194x torr
+ 0.40129x torr
+ 0.40129x torr
End
(126.2 0.13376x)
0 torr
0.40129x torr
0.40129x torr
torr
Once again, the expressions in the End row must add up to 1133 torr.
(126.2 0.13376x) + 0.40129x + 0.40129x = 1133
Solving this equation gives x = 1505 torr. This is a different value from our previous answer
(1568 torr). Are there two possible answers? We must again make sure that our final pressures
are all positive. The pressures of CO2 and H2O will clearly be positive, but what about the
pressure of C3H6?
126.2 0.13376(1505) = 75.1 torr

The final pressure of C3H6 turns out to be a negative number, which is an absurd result. This is
an example of a situation where we get two answers that satisfy the mathematics, but only one of
the two is physically reasonable. (The final pressure turns out to be negative because we use
more C3H6 than we have: 0.13376(1505) = 201.3 torr used up, which is greater than the 126.2
torr we started with).
Therefore, we can conclude that the initial pressure of O2 was 1568 torr.
11) If you want to memorize the formula in Zumdahl, you can, but you will not be given this
formula on your exam data sheet, because you can solve gas density problems using the ideal gas
law. The key is to recognize that the density is the number of grams of gas in one liter, and we
can calculate the number of grams of any gas in one liter using PV=nRT and then converting
moles to grams.
Start by calculating the number of moles of CO2 in 1 L:
855 torr 1 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 324 K
n = 0.042317 mol
Then convert this number of moles to grams:
44.01 g
0.042317 mol
= 1.8624 g
1
mol

Since this is the mass of 1 L of CO2, the density is 1.86 g/L.

12) First, we can use the percent composition to find the empirical formula of the compound.
You did this kind of problem in topic A, so I will just outline the solution here:
100 g of compound contains
88.8 g of carbon = 7.394 mol C
11.2 g of hydrogen = 11.11 mol H
Dividing both of these numbers by the smaller (7.394) gives:
1 mol C/mol C
1.50 mol H/mol C
Multiplying both of these by 2 mol C converts them to whole numbers:
2 mol C
3 mol H
So the empirical formula of the compound is C2H3.
Now we use the vapor density to determine the molar mass. The density tells us that 1 L of the
compound weighs 1.91 g. We use the ideal gas law to determine the number of moles in 1 L.
675 torr 1 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 306.35 K
n = 0.035333 mol
So 0.035333 moles of the compound weighs 1.91 grams. The molar mass of the compound is
therefore:
1.91 g
= 54.1 g/mol

0.035333 mol

If the compound were C2H3, the molar mass would be about 27 g/mol. The actual molar mass is
twice this number, so the molecular formula must be C4H6.

13) There are several ways to approach this problem; here is one of them
Lets start by using the ideal gas law to get an expression for the number of moles of oxygen in 1
liter:
PV
1.00 atm 1 L
1 L atm
n =
=
=
RT
RT
RT
The temperature is unknown, so we cannot insert a value for T here. We can insert a value for R
(we would use 0.08206 Latm/molK), but there is no need to do so yet.
Next, lets convert this number of moles into a mass, using the molar mass of oxygen (32.00

g/mol):
1 L atm
32.00 g
32 g L atm/mol

=
RT
1 mol
RT
This expression tells us that the mass (in grams) of O2 in 1 L of the sample is 32 divided by RT.
The gLatm/mol in the numerator is required to make the units cancel.
Now, the nitrogen and the oxygen have the same density, so the mass of N2 in a 1 L sample is

also 32/RT. Lets convert that to moles, using the molar mass of N2 (28.02 g/mol):
32 g L atm/mol
1 mol
1.142 L atm

=
RT
28.02 g
RT
This expression tells us that the number of moles of N2 in 1 L of the sample is 1.142 divided by
RT.
Finally, we can substitute this expression into the ideal gas law to calculate a pressure for the N :
2

1.142 L atm
R T
RT
P 1 L = 1.142 L atm
1.142 L atm
P =
= 1.14 atm
1L
Note that since the two gases are at the same temperature, the value of T cancels out here (as
does the value of R). The pressure of N2 must be higher because N2 is a lighter gas than O2; in
order to have equal masses, we need more molecules of N2, which gives us a higher pressure.
P 1L =

14) First, lets calculate the number of moles of gaseous H2S in the original container, using the
ideal gas law:
169.1 torr 2.50 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 286.15 K
n = 0.023691 mol
Next, lets calculate the number of moles of gaseous H2S in the container after the system has
reached equilibrium. The gas volume is now 2.50 L 0.2000 L = 2.30 L, and the partial pressure
of the H2S is 155.9 torr 11.2 torr = 144.7 torr.
144.7 torr 2.30 L = n 62.36 L torr/mol K 286.15 K
n = 0.018651 mol

Now we can calculate the number of moles of H2S that dissolved; it is the difference between the
initial and final moles of gaseous H2S.
0.023691 mol 0.018651 mol = 0.005040 mol
The molar concentration of H2S in the water is therefore:
0.005040 mol
= 0.025 M
0.2000 L

15)
a) For a moving object, KE = 1/2mv2. In the metric system, the unit of energy is the joule,
which equals a kgm2/sec2. Therefore, the mass must be in kg and the velocity must be in m/sec.
start by converting Janices mass from pounds to kilograms.
We must
454 g
1 kg
131 pounds

= 59.474 kg
1 pound
1000 g
Now we can calculate Janices speed. In order to make the units cancel, we must make the
substitution J = kgm2/sec2
KE = 12 mv 2

1.00 J =

1
2

(59.474 kg)v 2

1.00 kg m2 /sec2 =

1
2

(59.474 kg)v 2

0.033628 m2 /sec2 = v 2
v = 0.033628 m2 /sec2 = 0.183 m/sec
(This is a very slow walking speed. At this speed, it would take Janice about ten minutes to walk
the length of a football field, including the end zones.)
b) Again, we use KE = 1/2mv2.

KE =

1
2

(59.474 kg)(1.34 m/sec)

= 53.4 kg m2 /sec2
= 53.4 J
16)
a) If one mole (6.022 x 1023) atoms has an energy of 6215 joules, then one atom must
have 6215 J divided by Avogadros number. Writing this as a formal unit conversion looks like
this:
1 mol
6215 J
1 atom

= 1.032 10 -20 J
23
1 mol
6.022 10 atoms

b) Kinetic energy equals 1/2mv2, but we cannot calculate the velocity unless we know the
mass. We have two options here
Option 1: do everything on a per mole basis.
The kinetic energy of 1 mole is 6215 J, and the mass of 1 mole of neon is 20.18 g = 0.02018 kg.

6215 J =

1
2

(0.02018 kg)v 2

6215 kg m2 /sec2 =

1
2

(0.02018 kg)v 2

6.160 105 m2 /sec2 = v 2

v =

6.160 105 m2 /sec2 = 784.8 m/sec

Option 2: do everything based on a single atom of neon.

We already
know that one neon atom has a kinetic energy of 1.032 x 10-20 J. A single neon atom
weighs
1 mol
20.18 g
1 kg
1 atom

= 3.351 10-26 kg
23
1 mol
1000 g
6.022 10 atoms

Now we can use KE = 1/2mv2.

1.032 10-20 J =

1
2

(3.361 10-26 kg)v 2

1.032 10-20 kg m2 /sec2 =

1
2

(3.361 10-26 kg)v 2

6.160 105 m2 /sec2 = v 2

v =

6.160 105 m2 /sec2 = 784.8 m/sec

We end up with the same velocity, as we must.

c) To get the total kinetic energy, we multiply the average KE (in J/mol) by the number

of moles of neon. 1.250 g of Ne equals 0.061943 mol, so we have:

0.061943 mol

6215 J
= 385.0 J
1 mol

Strictly, this only works if we have a very large number of atoms. In this case, 0.061943 moles
equals about 37,300,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms, which is certainly a very large number!
d) For any gas, the average KE equals 3/2RT, where R = 8.314 J/molK:
6215 J/mol =

3
2

(8.314 J/mol K) T

T = 498.4 K (225.2C)

e) The most probable KE for a gas equals 1/2RT. Now that we know the temperature, we
can calculate KEmp:

KE mp =

1
2

(8.314 J/mol K) 498.4 K

= 2072 J/mol

f) For the root-mean-square speed, we have:

v rms =

3RT
M

3(8.314 J/mol K)(498.4 K)

6.160 105 J/kg

0.02018 kg/mol

Before we take the final square root, lets make sense of the unit. A joule is a kgm2/sec2, so a
J/kg equals a m2/sec2 (because the kg units cancel out).

v rms =

6.160 105 m2 /sec2

= 784.9 m/sec

g) For the average speed, we have:

v ave =

8RT
M

8(8.314 J/mol K)(498.4 K)

5.229 105 J/kg

3.14159(0.02018 kg/mol)

= 5.229 105 m2 /sec2

= 723.1 m/sec

h) For the most probable speed, we have:

v mp =

2RT
M

2(8.314 J/mol K)(498.4 K)

4.107 105 J/kg

0.02018 kg/mol

= 4.107 105 m2 /sec2

= 640.8 m/sec
17)
a) First, we need to calculate the mass of a single water molecule. One mole of H2O
weighs 18.016 g, so one molecule weighs 18.016 g divided by Avogadros number, which equals
x 10-23 g = 2.9917 x 10-26 kg. Now we can calculate the kinetic energy of the molecule.
2.9917

KE =

1
2

(2.9917 10

-26

kg (426 m/sec)

= 2.71 10-21 kg m2 /sec2

= 2.71 10 -21 J
b) One mole equals 6.022 x 1023 molecules, so the kinetic energy expressed in J/mol is:

2.7146 10-21 J 6.022 1023 mol-1 = 1.63 10 3 J/mol

18)
a) The average kinetic energy of a gas depends only on the temperature, so the krypton
would have to be at 25C (the same temperature as the argon).

b) The molecular speed depends on both the temperature and the molar mass. The most
straightforward way (although not the shortest way) to answer this question is to calculate the
average molecular speed of the argon, and then use that speed to calculate the temperature of the
krypton. The average speed of the argon at 25C is:
v ave =

8RT
=
M

8(8.314 J/mol K)(298 K)

= 397.4 m/sec
3.14159(0.03995 kg/mol)

Using this speed, we can calculate the necessary temperature for the krypton:

8(8.314 J/mol K)T

3.14159(0.08380 kg/mol)

397.4 m/sec =

(397.4 m/sec)

8(8.314 J/mol K)T

3.14159(0.08380 kg/mol)
2

T =

(397.4 m/sec) (3.14159)(0.08380 kg/mol)

8(8.314 J/mol K)

= 625 K (352C)

The quick way to answer this question is to recognize that if the molecular speeds are equal, we
can say:

8RTKr
8RTAr
=
M Kr
M Ar
Since the factor 8R/ is the same for both expressions, this reduces to
TKr
TAr
=
MKr
MAr

Substituting in the molar masses of Kr and Ar and the temperature of the Ar allows us to
calculate the temperature of the Kr.

two gases have the same average kinetic energy, because kinetic energy depends
19)
a) The
only on temperature, and both gases are at the same temperature.

b) Average speed is directly related to temperature and inversely related to molar mass,
but since the gases are at the same temperature, we need only consider the molar mass. The CO
has the higher average speed, because the molar mass of CO is lower than the molar mass of
CO2.
c) The two gases have the same fraction of molecules with KE > 5 kJ/mol. As in part a,
the kinetic energy distribution depends only on temperature.
d) The CO has the higher fraction of molecules with speeds greater than 500 m/sec, for
the same reason that it has the higher average speed. If two gases are at the same temperature,
the lighter gas will always have the greater fraction of fast-moving molecules, regardless of
what cutoff we use to define fast.
e) Since the gases are have the same temperature, pressure, and volume, they must
contain the same number of moles. However, a mole of CO2 weighs more than a mole of CO, so
the CO2 weighs more.
20)

a) The O2 has the higher average kinetic energy, because it is at a higher temperature.
b) For this question, we need to do a quick calculation of average speed, because the two
relevant factors (molar mass and temperature) are opposing each other; the O2 is hotter (which
would give it a higher average speed), but it also has a higher molar mass (which would give it a
lower average speed). Calculating the average speeds gives the following values:
For O2: 480 m/sec
For NO: 459 m/sec
So the O2 has the higher average speed.
c) The NO has a higher fraction of molecules with KE < 5 kJ/mol. Since the NO is at the
lower temperature, it has more low-energy molecules, regardless of the cutoff we use to define
low.
d) The NO has a higher fraction of molecules with speeds below 500 m/sec. In part b, we
found that O2 has the higher average speed, so O2 must also have the greater fraction of fastmoving molecules. Therefore, NO must have the higher fraction of slow-moving molecules.
e) We need to use PV=nRT to calculate the moles of each gas, then convert to grams.
The volume is not given, but it is the same for both gases, so we can just leave it as a variable.
We can also leave R as a variable (although if you want to plug it in, you can).
For the O2: n =

PV
1 atm V
V
=
= 0.00287
RT
R 348 K
R

mass = 0.00287

V
32.00 g
V

= 0.0920
R
1 mol
R

PV
1 atm V
V
For the NO: n =
=
= 0.00336
RT
R 298 K
R

mass = 0.00336

V
30.01 g
V

= 0.101
R
1 mol
R

Since 0.101V/R is larger than 0.0920V/R, the NO weighs more.

21)
a) The most probable kinetic energy is around 700 J/mol. This is the kinetic energy that
corresponds to the highest point on the curve. (This is a rough estimate anything within 100
J/mol of this value is a reasonable answer.)
b) Since KEmp = 1/2RT, we can calculate a rough value for the temperature from the most
probable KE we estimated in part a. You should get somewhere around 170 K. (Using 700
J/mol gives T = 168 K.)
c) When x = 2000 J/mol, y 0.00023. This is the fraction of molecules that have kinetic
energies between 1999.5 J/mol and 2000.5 J/mol. (A fraction of 0.00023 equals 0.023%.)
d) This value tells us that the fraction of molecules that have kinetic energies between
2000 J/mol and 4000 J/mol is 0.259. Another way to say this is that 25.9% of the molecules
have kinetic energies in this range.
22)
a) Curve B could represent the KE distribution for Ar(g) at 300 K. Neon at 300 K and
argon at 300 K have exactly the same KE distribution, because they are at the same temperature.
b) Curve C could represent the KE distribution for Ne(g) at 600 K. As the temperature
increases, the curve shifts toward higher kinetic energies.
23)
a) Curve A could represent the speed distribution for H2(g) at 125C. As the
temperature decreases, the distribution shifts toward lower speeds.
b) Curve A could represent the speed distribution for N2(g) at 25C. Comparing the
distributions for two different gases at the same temperature (H2 and N2 in this case), we expect
the heavier gas to have slower speeds.
c) Curve B could represent the speed distribution for He(g) at 323C. In this case, we
need to compare the average speeds for the two gases. When we calculate the average speed for
each gas, we get:
H2 at 25C: vave = 1769 m/sec
He at 323C: vave = 1769 m/sec
The two gases have the same average speed! Therefore, they must have exactly the same
distribution of speeds.
24)
a) The most probable speed is around 240 m/sec. This is the speed that corresponds to
the highest point on the curve. (This is a rough estimate anything within 10 m/sec of this value
is a reasonable answer.)
2RT
b) Since v mp =
, we can calculate a rough value for the molar mass from the most
M
probable speed we estimated in part a. Using vmp = 240 m/sec and T = 473 K gives M = 0.137
kg/mol = 137 g/mol. (Did you remember that M is in kg/mol in this kind of formula???)
c) When x = 200 m/sec, y 0.0033. This is the fraction of molecules that have speeds

between 199.5 J/mol and 200.5 m/sec. (A fraction of 0.0033 equals 0.33%.)
d) This value tells us that the fraction of molecules that have speeds above 400 m/sec is
0.111. Another way to say this is that 11.1% of the molecules have speeds in this range.
e) The entire area under the curve is 1 (= 100%), so the area of the region that isnt
shaded must be 1 0.111 = 0.889. This value tells us that the fraction of molecules having
speeds below 400 m/sec is 0.889.
25) We can use Grahams law of effusion to calculate the molar mass of the gas:

rate 1
=
rate 2

M2
M1

Lets let gas 1 be argon and gas 2 be the unknown substance. (You can do it the other way, too.)
To calculate the rates, we need to express the times in a single unit, either minutes or seconds.
times in seconds.
Ill express the
For the argon: time of effusion = (5 min x 60 sec/min) + 13 sec = 313 sec
rate 1 = 5.00 mL/313 sec = 0.01597 mL/sec
M1 = 39.97 g/mol (its okay to use grams per mole in Grahams law)
For the unknown: time of effusion = (6 min x 60 sec/min) + 10 sec = 370 sec
rate 2 = 5.00 mL/370 sec = 0.01351 mL/sec
M2 is unknown
0.01597 mL/sec
=
0.01351 mL/sec

M2
39.97 g/mol

Squaring both sides gives

0.01597 mL/sec 2
M2

=
39.97 g/mol
0.01351 mL/sec
0.01597 mL/sec 2

39.97 g/mol = M2
0.01351 mL/sec
M2 = 55.9 g/mol

The empirical formula is CH2, which has a molar mass of about 14 g/mol.

55.9/14 4

So the molecular formula is C4H8.

26)
a) Water has a higher a value because the attraction between H2O molecules is stronger
than the attraction between N2 molecules. This agrees with the fact that H2O is a liquid at room
temperature while N2 is a gas; the attraction between H2O molecules is strong enough to keep
them in contact with one another at room temperature.
b) Nitrogen has a higher b value because N2 molecules have a larger volume than H2O
molecules. This is not surprising; it is reasonable that a nitrogen atom should be larger than two
hydrogen atoms. (N and O should be similar sizes.)

27)

a) Using the ideal gas law gives us:

150 atm 253 L = n 0.08206 L atm/mol K 523 K
n = 884.26 mol
= 884 moles of O 2 (to three sig figs)

b) The van der Waals equation for gases is

n 2
P + a ( V - nb) = nRT

For oxygen, a = 1.36 atmL2/mol2 and b = 0.0318 L/mol. We already have n = 884.26 mol, V =
253 L, and T = 523 K. Substituting these values into the equation gives us:

2
2 884.26 mol
P + 1.36 atm L /mol
(253 L - 884.26 mol 0.0318 L/mol) =
253 L

884.26 mol 0.08206 L atm/mol K 523 K

Doing all of the arithmetic and canceling units gives us:

(P

+ 16.6134 atm)(224.881 L ) = 37950.1 L atm

P + 16.6134 atm =

37950.1 L atm
224.881 L

P + 16.6134 atm = 168.756 atm

P = 152.143 atm
= 152 atm (to 3 sig figs)

This is slightly above the safety limit for the reactor (150 atm), so the engineer should decrease
the maximum number of moles of O2 accordingly.

28)
a) The actual pressure is lower than the ideal gas prediction when the volume is greater
than about 0.1 L. Over this range, Preal/Pideal is less than 1, which means that Preal is less than
Pideal. In this range, the attraction between O2 molecules reduces the force with which the
molecules collide with the container walls, giving a lower pressure than we expect based on the
ideal gas model.

b) The actual pressure is higher than the ideal gas prediction when the volume is less than
about 0.1 L. In this range, the O2 molecules are so tightly packed together that there is almost no
empty space between them. Reducing the volume requires extremely high pressures, because
you must compress the molecules themselves.
29)
a) The kinetic energy of the molecules in a gas is proportional to the temperature (by the
kinetic theory); raising the temperature increases the kinetic energy. Since the kinetic energy is
related to the speed of the molecules by KE = 1/2mv2, increasing the kinetic energy is equivalent
to increasing the molecular speeds. The molecules therefore collide with the container walls
more often and at higher speeds. Since pressure is simply the collective result of molecules
colliding with the walls, the pressure increases.
b) Gases are mostly empty space (by the kinetic theory), so compressing a gas simply
involves moving the molecules closer to one another.
c) The kinetic energy of a mole of a gas is related only to its temperature (by the kinetic
theory), and is not a function of the molar mass of the gas. Therefore, the amount of energy you
must put into a mole of a gas in order to raise the temperature is likewise a function only of the
temperature; it is the difference between the energy of the gas when its cool and the energy of
the gas when its hot.
Note: strictly, this is only valid for monatomic gases. For gases that are molecules, the
kinetic energy of the gas depends on the structure of the gas; the more complex the molecules,
the higher the energy.