Name:
Date: ______________
Gas Laws and Properties PhET Lab
Log on to: phet.colorado.edu
Click on: Play with sims  Physics  Gas Properties  Run Now!
Include units with all data and be as specific as possible in all answers.
Part One:
1.
Pump the handle once. After a few moments, record the following.
___________ Temperature
2.
___________ Pressure
Using the little person pushing on the wall, decrease the volume of the box. What happens to the following?
Temperature:
Pressure:
3.
Use the Heat Control and remove heat until it is back to the original temperature in #1. Now increase the
volume of the box, and describe what happens to the pressure.
Explain why this occurs:
4.
Pump the handle one more time, and describe what happens to the pressure:
Explain why this occurs:
Part Two:
5.
Click the Volume button in the Constant Parameter box. Hit the green Reset button. Pump the handle once.
After a few moments, record the following. ___________ Temperature
___________ Pressure
6.
Add heat and record what happens to the temperature and pressure:
7.
Remove heat until the temperature is around 10 K. Describe what happen to the pressure and explain why:
8.
What happens to the particles as the temperature decreases?
9.
Play with the heat control until you get the pressure around 0.5 atm.
Part Three:
10.
Click the Pressure button in the Constant Parameter box. Hit the green Reset button. Pump the handle once.
After a few moments, record the following. ___________ Temperature
___________ Pressure
11.
Remove heat until it’s around 200 K. What happens to the Volume? Explain why this happens:
12.
Add heat until it’s around 400 K. What happens to the Volume? Explain why this happens:
13.
If you keep adding heat so the pressure goes above the initial pressure, why doesn’t the pressure remain
constant? (It’s set on constant pressure.)
14.
Remove the heat until the temperature is around 500 K.
Part Four:
15.
Click the Temperature button in the Constant Parameter box. Hit the green Reset button. Pump the handle
once. After a few moments, record the following. ___________ Temperature
16.
____________ Pressure
Click on the person pushing on the wall and make the container smaller. Observe what happens at the heater
when this is done. Explain why this happens:
17.
Keep pumping the handle until the pressure exceeds the gauge limit. Describe what happens to the
temperature and pressure afterwards:
Why does the heater come on?
18.
Hit the green Reset button. Pump in some Heavy Species. Click the red Light Species, and pump one more
time. How does the speed of the larger particles compare to the speed of the lighter particles?
They are both at the same temperature. Explain why they are moving the way they do in terms of kinetic
energy:
Part Five:
19. Create the following 3 separate data tables in Excel. Include headings and units with each column.
 Pressure and Volume
 Pressure and Temperature
 Temperature and Volume
20. Using the simulation, gather 5 sets of data for each set of variables. Be sure to control any other parameters so
that you can clearly see the relationship between each of these 2 sets of variables. All other variables should be
constant.
Note: To calculate the volume of the container, click on the “Measuring Tools” and check the “Ruler” and
“Layering tool” box. This will allow you to find the length and height of the box. Since there is no way to
measure the 3rd dimension of the box, assume the width is 10 nm.
21. Using your 3 data tables, create 3 separate graphs in Excel. Each graph must have labeled axes with
units, a title, and a line of best fit.
22. Attach your data tables and graphs with the previous page to be handed in next class.