Answer to Question #16916 in Inorganic Chemistry for Monikah Farrell

Question

A 1.397 L container of O2 at 773.6 mm Hg was connected to another evacuated container which had a volume of 1.030 L and separated by a valve. What was the final pressure in atmospheres if the valve was opened and the gas allowed to expand into the other container?

Answer 1

The law of the isothermal process (Boyle):
for a given mass of gas at a constant temperature of product of pressure and volume is constant.
p₁V₁ = p₂V₂
773.6 mm Hg * 1.397 L = 1.030L * p₂
p₂ = 773.6 mm Hg * 1.397 L / 1.030L;
p₂ = 1049.24 mm Hg
p₂ = 1049.24 mm Hg / 760 mm Hg = 1.38 atmospheres