Charles' Law

• Charles' Law

  The volume of a given mass of gas is directly proportional with the absolute temperature of the gas given that the pressure will remain constant
• Absolute temperature

  Temperature measured using the Kelvin scale
• Zero on the Kelvin scale means that there is a complete stoppage of the motion made by the molecules
• Kinetic Molecular Theory explanation of Charles' Law

  • An increase in temperature will result in the increase of the average kinetic energy of the molecules
  • If the molecules keep on moving more rapidly at constant pressure, the molecules must stay farther apart, so that the rise in the rate at which molecules interact with the surface of the container is equated by a corresponding increase in the area of this surface as the gas expands
• The direct relationship of volume and temperature as per Charles's Law can be represented by the equation V1/T1 = V2/T2
• The direct relationship will only occur if the temperatures are expressed in Kelvin and not in Celsius or Fahrenheit