A common misconception is that the pressure inside the bottle is increased when the
bottle is shaken. On the contrary, because the temperature of the bottle and its con-
tents remains constant as long as the bottle is sealed, so does the pressure, as can be
shown by replacing the cork with a pressure gauge. The correct explanation is as fol-
lows. Carbon dioxide gas resides in the volume between the liquid surface and the
cork. Shaking the bottle displaces some of this carbon dioxide gas into the liquid,
where it forms bubbles, and these bubbles become attached to the inside of the bottle.
(No new gas is generated by shaking.) When the bottle is opened, the pressure is re-
duced; this causes the volume of the bubbles to increase suddenly. If the bubbles are
attached to the bottle (beneath the liquid surface), their rapid expansion expels liquid
from the bottle. If the sides and bottom of the bottle are first tapped until no bubbles
remain beneath the surface, then when the champagne is opened, the drop in pres-
sure will not force liquid from the bottle.
The ideal gas law is often expressed in terms of the total number of molecules N.
Because the total number of molecules equals the product of the number of moles n
and Avogadro’s number N
A
, we can write Equation 19.8 as
(19.10)
where k
B
is
Boltzmann’s constant, which has the value
(19.11)
It is common to call quantities such as P, V, and T the
thermodynamic variables of an
ideal gas. If the equation of state is known, then one of the variables can always be ex-
pressed as some function of the other two.
k
B
#
R
N
A
#
1.38 ) 10
!
23
J/K
PV # Nk
B
T
PV # nRT #
N
N
A
RT
S E C T I O N 19 . 5 • Macroscopic Description of an Ideal Gas
593
▲
PITFALL PREVENTION
19.3 So Many k’s
There are a variety of physical
quantities for which the letter k is
used—we have seen two previ-
ously, the force constant for a
spring (Chapter 15) and the wave
number for a mechanical wave
(Chapter 16). Boltzmann’s con-
stant is another k, and we will see k
used for thermal conductivity in
Chapter 20 and for an electrical
constant in Chapter 23. In order
to make some sense of this confus-
ing state of affairs, we will use a
subscript for Boltzmann’s constant
to help us recognize it. In this
book, we will see Boltzmann’s con-
stant as k
B
, but keep in mind that
you may see Boltzmann’s constant
in other resources as simply k.
Boltzmann’s constant
Quick Quiz 19.5
A common material for cushioning objects in packages is
made by trapping bubbles of air between sheets of plastic. This material is more effec-
tive at keeping the contents of the package from moving around inside the package on
(a) a hot day (b) a cold day (c) either hot or cold days.
Quick Quiz 19.6
A helium-filled rubber balloon is left in a car on a cold
winter night. Compared to its size when it was in the warm car the afternoon before,
the size the next morning is (a) larger (b) smaller (c) unchanged.
Quick Quiz 19.7
On a winter day, you turn on your furnace and the temper-
ature of the air inside your home increases. Assuming that your home has the normal
amount of leakage between inside air and outside air, the number of moles of air
in your room at the higher temperature is (a) larger than before (b) smaller than
before (c) the same as before.
Example 19.5 How Many Moles of Gas in a Container?
and T # 20°C # 293 K. Using Equation 19.8, we find that
4.11 ) 10
!
6
mol
#
n #
PV
RT
#
(100 Pa)(1.00 ) 10
!
4
m
3
)
(8.314 J/mol+K)(293 K)
An ideal gas occupies a volume of 100 cm
3
at 20°C
and 100 Pa. Find the number of moles of gas in the
container.
Solution The quantities given are volume, pressure, and
temperature: V # 100 cm
3
#
1.00 ) 10
!
4
m
3
, P # 100 Pa,