Bouncing off the Walls PhET Gas Law Simulation 2013

GO TO: OR google “Phet Gas properties”.

GOAL: to investigate the effect of: a) volume on pressure; b) temperature on volume;

c) number of particleson pressure; d) temperature on pressure.

PRELAB: Sketch your prediction of each relationship.

V P P

P

Volume Temperature # of particles Temperature

COLLECTING DATA

PART 1: Effect of Volume on Pressure

1. Hit the reset button.

2. In the upper left corner under “Constant Parameters”, select “Temperature”. This will keep the temperature relatively constant. Set the number of particles to a constant value.

3. To measure the volume, hit the button “Measurement Tools” and select the “Ruler”. The ruler can be moved so you can measure the size of the box to get a measurement of volume.

4. Take 5 separate measurements over a large range of numbers without exploding the container.

Table 2: Volume and Pressure of a gas with temperature constant at_____ and Particles constant

at ______.

Volume (nm)
Pressure Pressure (atm)

Questions:

1. What is the independent variable?

2. What is the dependent variable?

3. What 2 factors are being held constant?

PART 2: Effect of Temperature on Volume

Procedure: Design a test to determine the V vs. T relationship. Record your settings.

Note:to hold pressure constant, the container must have something in it first. Add particles, then hold pressure constant. If you hold pressure constant before adding particles in the container (P = 0 atm), the program will attempt the impossible, by trying to hold the pressure at 0 atm.

1. What is the independent variable?

2. What is the dependent variable?

3. What 2 factors are being held constant?

4. Take at least 5 measurements over as wide a range as possible.

Table 2: Volume and Temperature of a gas with pressure constant at _____ and number of

particles at ______.

Volume (nm)
Temperature (K)

PART 3: Effect of Temperature on Pressure

Procedure: Design a test to investigate the pressure vs. temperature relationship. Write down the settings.

1. What is the independent variable?

2. What is the dependent variable?

3. What 2 factors are being held constant?

4. Take at least 5 measurements over as wide a range as possible.

Table 3: Pressure and Temperature of a gas with volume constant at _____ and number of

particles at ______.

Pressure (atm)
Temperature (K)

PART 4: Effect of number of particles on pressure

Procedure: design a test to investigate this relationship. Hint: In the “Advanced Options”, you should select the “Temperature of new particles” and pick a temperature. This will hold it constant.

Write down the simulator settings.

1. What is the independent variable?

2. What is the dependent variable?

3. What 2 factors are being held constant?

4. Take atleast 5 measurements over as wide a range as possible.

Table 4: Pressure and number of particles with temperature constant at ____ and volume

constant at ______.

# particles
Pressure (atm)

GRAPHING DATA

1. Combine your data with the data of another student and make a graph for each relationship for

which you collected data.

2. Use Excel or one of the following online graphing sites. Print a copy of each graph and tape into

lab NB.

Create a Graph; Illuminations Data Grapher; ChartGo; ChartGizmo; Online Chart Tool;

ANALYZING DATA

3. Describe the relationship shown in each graph.

a. “As _____ increases, ______.....”

b. The relationship between ______and ______is a (direct; inverse) relationship.

4. Describe what is happening to particle motion that explains each relationship.