Chemistry (including Biochemistry)/Chemistry SOL Review

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Expert: - 4/24/2005


Question
What temperature scale must be used when calculating one of the gas laws? Why?

Answer
The key is "can anything be zero or negative?".  In PV=nRT, if T=0, either P or V has to be zero, which would not be defined in science.  What do you do if T is negative, then P,V, or n would have to be negative, which is impossible?  One of the scales that meets the criteria is the Kelvin scale, where 0 is "absolute zero" and not defined for gas laws.  F and C scales can both be negative and zero, so they are out.


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Chemistry (including Biochemistry)

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Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

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Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

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PhD, MS, BS in Chemistry

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