Post by Aleu on Jan 26, 2008 18:32:00 GMT -6
Gas Laws:
The temperature, volume, and pressure of a gas are linked. Changing one with change AT LEAST ONE other. This is absolutely essential, and the basis of all gas laws. Basically, if you change one thing, expect at least one other to change. Charles' Law and Boyle's Law are just special instances of it. The Ideal Gas Law combines all the itty-bitty gas laws and turns them into basically what I just said, plus math.
States of Matter:
Should you be in AP Chem, there are only four states of matter you have to worry about:
Solid: The most 'rigid' of all, solids are what we all know and are familiar with. The atoms within a solid are locked into place, and the only movement that they are capable of doing (at an atomic level) is vibrating in place. If you know intermolecular forces, this is the state of matter when the IMFs overpower the molecules' tendencies to avoid each other.
Gas: Gases are the opposite of solids: they (in theory, but not in actuality) are completely free of intermolecular forces, ie: the molecules of a gas are completely free to move in any which way they like. A gas is the ONLY STATE OF MATTER WHICH IS COMPRESSIBLE. They expand to fill any volume.
Liquid: I mention liquid here because it's the 'midpoint' state. Molecules are more free to move than in a solid, but are not completely free of IMF's as in a gas. It is not compressible like a solid, but can shift and change into different shapes.
Aqueous/Solution: A funny little critter, it basically means "dissolved." Molecules that enter the aqueous state (possible only for ionic compounds) are actually dissociated into their respective ions (For example, NaCl turns into Na+ and Cl-). Hence the compound NaCl is said to be "in solution." Not terrible important until you do Acids/Bases, and other kinds of solution-stuff... It gets critical later. The solution is usually one of water.
All good?
The temperature, volume, and pressure of a gas are linked. Changing one with change AT LEAST ONE other. This is absolutely essential, and the basis of all gas laws. Basically, if you change one thing, expect at least one other to change. Charles' Law and Boyle's Law are just special instances of it. The Ideal Gas Law combines all the itty-bitty gas laws and turns them into basically what I just said, plus math.
States of Matter:
Should you be in AP Chem, there are only four states of matter you have to worry about:
Solid: The most 'rigid' of all, solids are what we all know and are familiar with. The atoms within a solid are locked into place, and the only movement that they are capable of doing (at an atomic level) is vibrating in place. If you know intermolecular forces, this is the state of matter when the IMFs overpower the molecules' tendencies to avoid each other.
Gas: Gases are the opposite of solids: they (in theory, but not in actuality) are completely free of intermolecular forces, ie: the molecules of a gas are completely free to move in any which way they like. A gas is the ONLY STATE OF MATTER WHICH IS COMPRESSIBLE. They expand to fill any volume.
Liquid: I mention liquid here because it's the 'midpoint' state. Molecules are more free to move than in a solid, but are not completely free of IMF's as in a gas. It is not compressible like a solid, but can shift and change into different shapes.
Aqueous/Solution: A funny little critter, it basically means "dissolved." Molecules that enter the aqueous state (possible only for ionic compounds) are actually dissociated into their respective ions (For example, NaCl turns into Na+ and Cl-). Hence the compound NaCl is said to be "in solution." Not terrible important until you do Acids/Bases, and other kinds of solution-stuff... It gets critical later. The solution is usually one of water.
All good?