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Gaseous State revision notes

Every idea in the Gaseous State chapter for JEE Main, with the usual mistakes and the fast methods. Topic 1 is open to everyone; sign in free to read all 7 and download the PDF.

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How we count: 7× asked means 7 past JEE Main questions in the PrepWiser bank needed that concept, and "last" is the latest year one appeared. ★ marks ideas asked 8 or more times.

Ideal gas equation and the gas laws

Ideal gas equation
9× asked, last 2022
pV=nRT,n=mMpV = nRT,\qquad n = \frac{m}{M}
TT in K. RR = 8.314 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ (Pa, m³) = 0.0821 L atm mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ = 0.083 L bar mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.
  • Not °C, mm Hg or mL in pV=nRTpV=nRT. Use kelvin and the units of your RR (760 mm Hg = 1 atm, 1 bar = 10⁵ Pa, 1 L = 10⁻³ m³). 1 mol at 1 atm, 27 °C: V=0.0821×300=24.6V=0.0821\times300=24.6 L, not 2.2 L.
  • Quick method. Mixture of known total mass: get total nn from pV=nRTpV=nRT, then solve n1+n2=nn_1+n_2=n and n1M1+n2M2=n_1M_1+n_2M_2= mass. 3 mol of HX2\ce{H2} (M=2M=2) and He (M=4M=4) weighing 10 g: 2 mol He, i.e. 8 g.
Density and molar mass
5× asked, last 2022
pM=dRT,M=dRTp=mRTpVpM = dRT,\qquad M = \frac{dRT}{p} = \frac{mRT}{pV}
dd in g L⁻¹ with RR in L atm or L bar. At fixed pp and TT, d∝Md\propto M; for one gas at fixed pp, d∝1/Td\propto 1/T.
dd (g L⁻¹)pp (atm)O12123M=16M=16M=32M=32
Constant TT: pp vs dd through O, slope RT/MRT/M (lighter gas steeper)
pp (atm)pVpV (L atm)O123424.649.3300 K600 K
1 mol, constant TT: pVpV vs pp is flat at nRTnRT
  • Ideal-gas plots: at constant TT, pp vs dd is a straight line through the origin (slope RT/MRT/M). For a fixed amount, pVpV vs pp at constant TT is horizontal, and VV vs TT (in K) at constant pp is a line through the origin.
  • Quick method. Molar mass by weighing a bulb: gas mass = filled − empty mass; bulb volume = mass of liquid that fills it ÷ the liquid's density. Then M=mRT/pVM=mRT/pV.
Boyle's law
3× asked, last 2023
p1V1=p2V2(n, T fixed)p_1V_1 = p_2V_2\qquad (n,\ T\ \text{fixed})
p∝1/Vp\propto 1/V for a fixed amount at constant TT. Balloon: V∝r3V\propto r^3, so 4 times the radius gives 64 times less pressure.
VV (L)pp (atm)0.6V10.6V_1V1V_1p1p_11.67p11.67p_1300 K600 Kp∝1/Vp\propto1/V: +67%+67\%, not +40%+40\%
1 mol isotherms; the hotter one lies higher. Cutting VV to 0.6V10.6V_1 raises pp to p1/0.6p_1/0.6
  • Bulbs joined at constant TT: pfinal=∑piVi/∑Vip_{\text{final}}=\sum p_iV_i/\sum V_i; an evacuated bulb (p=0p=0) adds only volume. An ideal gas expanding into vacuum does no work, and its temperature does not change.
  • Not a 40% rise in pp for a 40% fall in VV. pp goes as 1/V1/V, so V2=0.6V1V_2=0.6V_1 gives p2=p1/0.6=1.67 p1p_2=p_1/0.6=1.67\,p_1, a 67% rise.
Charles's, Gay-Lussac's and Avogadro's laws
4× asked, last 2022
V1T1=V2T2 (n,p),p1T1=p2T2 (n,V),V∝n (p,T)\frac{V_1}{T_1}=\frac{V_2}{T_2}\ (n,p),\qquad \frac{p_1}{T_1}=\frac{p_2}{T_2}\ (n,V),\qquad V\propto n\ (p,T)
TT in kelvin. A rigid tank or tyre (fixed VV) follows Gay-Lussac. Equal volumes at the same pp and TT hold equal moles.
tt (°C)VV (L)−273.15-273.151001 atm2 atm
VV vs tt: every line meets V=0V=0 at −273.15-273.15 °C (0 K)
TT (K)ppO300600p0p_02p02p_027 °C327 °C54 °C: only 1.09p01.09p_0
Fixed VV: p∝Tp\propto T in kelvin only, so doubling pp from 27 °C needs 327 °C
  • Not °C in the ratio. Only kelvin temperature is proportional to VV or pp. Doubling the pressure of a sealed gas at 27 °C needs 600 K = 327 °C, not 54 °C. Convert back to °C only at the end.
Combined gas law
2× asked, last 2022
p1V1n1T1=p2V2n2T2\frac{p_1V_1}{n_1T_1} = \frac{p_2V_2}{n_2T_2}
Ideal gas; n1=n2n_1=n_2 for a closed sample. Cancel what stays fixed. pp, VV units just match on both sides; TT must be in K.
gas mass (kg)pp (atm)O51024fullhalf the gas used
Rigid cylinder, fixed TT: p∝n∝p\propto n\propto gas mass (total minus empty weight)
  • Quick method. Gas used from a rigid cylinder at fixed TT: p∝n∝p\propto n\propto gas mass. Take gas mass = total − empty weight first: 10 kg of gas at 4 atm falling to 5 kg leaves 2 atm.

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Mixtures of gases, plus ideas from concentration terms. Read the first part free. Sign in free with Google to read the rest and download the PDF.

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Mixtures of gases

  • Dalton's law of partial pressures7×
  • Gas collected over water1×

Also asked here: concentration terms

  • Key points1

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