Some students believe that teachers are full of hot air. If I inhale 2.2 litres of gas at a temperature of 18 degree Celsius and it heats to a temperature of 38 degree Celsius in my lungs,what is the new volume of the gas?
To find the new volume of the gas, we can use Charles's law, which states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature, assuming the pressure and the amount of gas remain constant.
In this case, we can assume that the pressure and the amount of gas remain constant, so we only need to consider the change in temperature.
Let's break down the steps to find the new volume:
1. Convert the temperatures from degrees Celsius (°C) to Kelvin (K):
- Temperature in Kelvin = Temperature in Celsius + 273.15
Initial temperature (T1) = 18°C + 273.15 = 291.15 K
Final temperature (T2) = 38°C + 273.15 = 311.15 K
2. Apply Charles's law:
- V1 / T1 = V2 / T2
V1 = initial volume = 2.2 liters
T1 = initial temperature in Kelvin = 291.15 K
T2 = final temperature in Kelvin = 311.15 K
V2 = final volume (what we want to find)
3. Rearrange Charles's law equation to solve for V2:
- V2 = (V1 * T2) / T1
Now, we can substitute the values into the equation and calculate the new volume:
V2 = (2.2 liters * 311.15 K) / 291.15 K
V2 = 2.34 liters (rounded to two decimal places)
Therefore, the new volume of the gas after heating to 38°C in your lungs would be approximately 2.34 liters.