Final answer:
Henry's Law indicates that gas solubility in liquids is directly proportional to pressure; however, gas solubility decreases as temperature increases due to higher kinetic energy encouraging the gas to escape from the liquid.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry's Law states that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid. As temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the gaseous solute also increases, which encourages the gas molecules to escape from the solvent into the gas phase, leading to a decrease in gas solubility. In contrast to solids and liquids, whose solubility typically increases with temperature, gases nearly always tend to be less soluble in liquids as the temperature rises.
This behavior is confirmed by observing substances such as HCl, NH3, and SO2. These gases have decreased solubility in liquid solvents at elevated temperatures because their increased kinetic energy overcomes the intermolecular forces that previously kept them dissolved. The effect of temperature on gas solubility is analogous to the increase in vapor pressure with temperature, where added thermal energy overcomes attractive forces between solvent molecules in the case of vapor pressure.
Thus, understanding the relationship between temperature, pressure, and solubility is key to many processes, including industrial applications where gases are dissolved in liquids, and environmental considerations where temperature changes can influence the solubility of gases in natural waters.