Question

What is Gay Lussac's Law of gaseous volumes?

Answer 1

Gay Lussac's Law of gaseous volumes

• According to this law, when gases react to form a new gaseous product, the ratio of the volume of gaseous reactant to the gaseous product is expressed as a simple whole-number ratio. The conditions required are constant pressure and temperature.
• This law is only applicable to gases.

Example

• When $1$ volume of nitrogen combines with $3$ volumes of hydrogen, formation of $2$ volumes of ammonia takes place at the same temperature and pressure.
• So, the ratio between gaseous reactants and product is the simple whole-number ratio that is $1:3:2$.

${\mathrm{N}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+3{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 2{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$

• It can also be expressed in a different way, for example, consider $100\text{mL}$ of nitrogen combined with $300\text{mL}$ of hydrogen to give $200\text{mL}$ of ammonia.
• Thus, the simple ratio volumes are $1:3:2$.