Chapter 4

Transparency
35
Heat

Gas Laws (II)

Charlesʼ Law
For a fixed mass of gas, the volume of the gas is directly proportional to the absolute
temperature of the gas at constant pressure.
Copper sulphate
solution
Load
Air Gas
molecules

As temperature increases, the copper As temperature increases, the

sulphate solution rises up the glass tube, volume of the gas also increases
showing that the volume of air has increased. at constant pressure.

Charlesʼ Law Experiment

Length of Length of
Half metre ruler Thermometer air column air column
l (cm) l (cm)
Capillary tube
Air

Stirrer

−273 0 Temperature θ (ºC)

Celsius temperature scale
Concentrated 0 273 Temperature T (K)
sulphuric acid (Absolute temperature) Absolute temperature scale

When the graph is extrapolated to

–273 ºC or (0 K), we have
l ∝T
Hence, V∝T
V = constant
T
V1 V2
As temperature increases, the air column or =
T1 T2
increases in height, showing that the
volume of air has increased. The new temperature scale is called
The air pressure remains constant at absolute temperature scale.
atmospheric pressure. T = 273 + θ

© Marshall Cavendish ( Malaysia ) Sdn. Bhd.