Gay Lussac Law of Gaseous Volumes, Examples and Applications of Gay Lussac Law

We know that several different types of gases surround Earth. A mixture of different gases envelop the Earth. It is known as air. While one cannot see air with one's naked eyes, it can be felt, i.e., the presence of air can be felt as we hear the wind gushing. Hence gases are essential for all living organisms for growth and survival. In this article, we discuss the properties of a gas, such as Gay Lussac Law.

The Gay Lussac Law states that the pressure exerted by a gas whose mass is known and volume is kept constant varies accordingly with the temperature of the gas. Therefore, it is one of the most important properties of gases. The Gay Lussac Law was proposed by the French chemist Joseph Gay-Lussac in the year 1808. His pioneering research and work to study several properties of gases have helped establish advanced synthesis and analysis techniques in chemistry.

We can also represent Gay Lussac Law with the help of the following formula:-
P ∝ T

Note: Here, P is known to be the pressure of the gas
T is known to be the temperature of the gas
V is the volume, i.e., the volume is always constant

With the help of the formula, one can also say that the pressure exerted by the gas is directly proportional to the gas's absolute temperature. The formula can be further simplified as
P = kT

Note: Here, P is known to be the pressure of the gas
T is known to be the temperature of the gas
k is the constant of proportionality (to remote the proportionality)
This relationship can be represented with the help of a graph. You can refer to the figure given below.

From the illustration given and with the help of the formula of Gay Lussac Law, the following comparisons can be concluded
Y = P
X = T
k = slope of the graph = y / x = P / T
Note: Here, P is known to be the pressure of the gas
T is known to be the temperature of the gas

Gay Lussac Law for Gaseous Volumes

Now, we know that Gay Lussac law helps define a relationship between the pressure exerted by a gas and the gas's absolute temperature at constant volume. This law also implies that the volume of these reacting gases when pressure and temperature are equal is always whole numbers.

Applications of Gay Lussac Law

Applications of Gay Lussac Law can be listed as follows:-

1. If we heat an aerosol can, the increased temperature causes the gases to change. According to Gay Lussac Law, the pressure built up in the can may result in an explosion.

2. Another example of the release of heat is the process of firing a bullet. We all know that a gun is fired with the help of         gunpowder. Then, the gunpowder burns, and the bullet is fired. This is because when the gunpowder burns, the gases trapped inside are heated. This increase in temperature causes the pressure to increase, according to Gay Lussac Law.  Hence, as a result of the superheated gases, the bullet is pushed forward with tremendous force towards the gun's barrel.

3. We can also view the application of Gay Lussac Law in the example of burning an automobile tire. As the tire is heated,        the heat spreads over the rubber and other constituents. Due to this, the pressure increased (Gay Lussac Law). The increased pressure cannot be contained within the tire. The tire then explodes as its walls weaken compared to the increased pressure.

4. While cooking, the increased pressure in a pressure cooker is another example of Gay Lussac Law. As the contents of the      pressure cooker are heated, the gases trapped inside, such as the steam, exert pressure. This is because the temperature of      the gases, such as the steam, is directly proportional to the pressure exerted. This causes the steam to be released through     an external part of the pressure cooker. The higher the temperature and pressure inside the container, the shorter the time the food takes to cook.