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Ch.10 - Gases: Their Properties & Behavior
Chapter 10, Problem 49a

Assume that you have a cylinder with a movable piston. What would happen to the gas volume of the cylinder if you were to do the following? (a) Halve the Kelvin temperature while holding the pressure constant

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas through the equation PV = nRT. This law is fundamental in understanding how gases behave under various conditions, allowing predictions about changes in volume when temperature or pressure is altered.
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Charles's Law

Charles's Law states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature (in Kelvin) when pressure is held constant. This means that if the temperature decreases, the volume will also decrease, which is crucial for analyzing the scenario of halving the temperature.
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Absolute Temperature

Absolute temperature is measured in Kelvin and is essential for gas law calculations. It starts at absolute zero, where molecular motion ceases. Understanding that temperature must be in Kelvin is vital when applying gas laws, as using Celsius or Fahrenheit would yield incorrect results.
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