Question

What is the temperature of an 11.2-L sample of carbon monoxide, CO, at 744 torr if it occupies 13.3 L at 55 °C and 744 torr?

a) 273 K
b) 298 K
c) 320 K
d) 345 K

Answer 1

We find the temperature of an 11.2-L sample of CO using Charles's Law; after converting the initial temperature to Kelvin and plugging into the formula, we determine the temperature to be approximately 275 K, closest to answer choice a) 273 K.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the temperature of an 11.2-L sample of carbon monoxide, CO, we can assume that the gas behaves ideally and use Charles's Law, which states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature when pressure is held constant. The law is given as V1/T1 = V2/T2, where V is volume and T is temperature in kelvins.

First, convert the given temperature from Celsius to Kelvin:

55 °C + 273.15 = 328.15 K

Then use Charles's Law to find the new temperature:

V1 = 13.3 L, T1 = 328.15 K (which we just calculated),
V2 = 11.2 L, T2 = ? (We are solving for T2)

Rearrange the equation to solve for T2:

T2 = V2 * T1 / V1
T2 = 11.2 L * 328.15 K / 13.3 L
T2 = 274.94 K

The temperature is approximately 275 K, which means the correct answer is a) 273 K, assuming there is some rounding in the choices provided.