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Beginner's Guide to Propulsion
Charles and Gay Lussac's Law
Activity
If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

After reading the Web page Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law and using the Animated Gas Lab, complete the activity to answer questions.

Additional Materials needed per group of 4 students:

2 empty small plastic soft drink containers of the same size, 2 eight inch balloons, hot plate and pan or beaker of boiling water, ring stand and clamp to hold container in water.
Click on Animated Gas Lab. On the left, under "Freeze One Variable," click on Mass. After mass is frozen, click on Pressure so that it is also frozen. Next, click on the green area "Effect of changing volume on temperature." Answer the questions shown below:


 1. Which variable is plotted on the graph's vertical axis?

2. Which variable is plotted on the graph's horizontal axis?

3. Locate the pressure gauge. You may need to scroll down. What is the pressure in kilopascals?

4. The red plunger is used to exert pressure on the gas molecules in which colored area?

5. Complete the table below as you watch the animated gas lab.

6. What do you predict the temperature will be when the volume becomes 5.5?

7. Sketch the completed temperature-volume graph.

Temperature
Volume
-
2.5
-
3.5
-
4.5

8. Click on "Effect of changing temperature on volume." Describe what is used to increase the temperature.

9. Sketch the completed volume-temperature graph.

10. Write the formula equation for Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law.

11. Write the equation for Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law in words. 

12. In the animated gas lab, the units of temperature are _________________. (Click on Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law if you need help.)

13. What are the units of volume used in this lab?

14. Predict what the volume in this lab would be if the temperature were 525 K.

15. Predict what the volume in this lab would be if the temperature were 275 K.

16. State Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law in your own words.

17. Blow up two balloons to the same size, about 6 inches in diameter. Place the opening of one balloon over the opening of each plastic bottle. Make sure the air doesn't leak out and that both balloons still have the same volume. Leave one bottle on the table and place the other in the hot water bath. Use the clamp to hold the bottle in position, so that it does not float. Describe what happens to the balloons.

18. How does your experience with the balloons compare to the animated gas lab?

19. Click on Temperature Variation - ETR and study the illustration. Which color and numbered area of the jet engine has the lowest temperature?

20. Which color and numbered area of the engine has the highest temperature?

21. As air moves through the engine from point 0 to point 4, what happens to the temperature in the engine?

22. Refer to the last question. According to Charles and Gay-Lussac's Law, what should happen to the volume of air as it moves from point 0 to point 4?

23. What does the drawing indicate about the change in volume of air from point 0 to 4?

24. Since the air in the engine increases in temperature but the volume decreases, some other property of the air must increase. Name this property.

(If you need help answering this, click on Boyle's Law .)


Related Pages:
Worksheet
Standards
Propulsion Activity Index
Propulsion Index

 

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Editor: Tom Benson
NASA Official: Tom Benson
Last Updated: Thu, May 13 02:38:38 PM EDT 2021

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