Find the Error: Solving PV=nRT for Temperature

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves using the ideal gas law, PV=nRT, to find the temperature of a gas given its amount in moles, volume, and pressure. The original poster attempts to solve for temperature but encounters an incorrect result.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the need to convert volume from liters to cubic meters or to adjust the gas constant to match the units being used. There is also a mention of the original poster's calculation and the resulting temperature being incorrect.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on unit conversions and the appropriate gas constant to use, suggesting that these adjustments could lead to a correct calculation. Multiple interpretations of the problem setup are being explored.

Contextual Notes

There is a focus on unit consistency, with participants noting the importance of using compatible units for pressure, volume, and the gas constant. The original poster's calculation is based on a gas constant that may not align with the units used for pressure and volume.

sheri1987
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Homework Statement


If 1.3 mol of a gas in a container occupies a volume of 9.0 L at a pressure of 1.2 atm, what is the temperature of the gas?



Homework Equations



PV=nRT

The Attempt at a Solution



The pressure is in atm so I converted it to Pascals and got 121560 Pa, then I plugged that into the gas law equation to solve for T

PV/nR=T... so ((121560)(9.0))/((1.3mol)(8.3)) and I got 101393.88 K, but that is wrong? Can you find my istake?
 
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Convert 9L to m^3
 
Either change liters to cubic meters or change the gas constant's value to the proper units.
 
Opps...too slow.
 
8.31 is in J/mol * K.
The gas constant you probably want is .08206 L * Atm / K * mol.
Using that constant, you won't need to change any units, and this becomes a simple number-crunching problem.

I hope that wasn't too much of a giveaway.
 

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