Avogadro's Law: Definition, Formula, Equation, Examples, Questions

Avogadro's Law: Definition, Formula, Equation, Examples, Questions

Shivani PooniaUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 07:55 PM IST

Gay-Lussac's Law, otherwise known as the pressure-temperature law, the relationship that exists between pressure and temperature for a gas at constant volume. It states that the pressure of a given quantity of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature provided the volume remains unchanged. It means that as temperature is increased, the pressure of a gas goes up, and when there is a drop in temperature, a subsequent drop in pressure occurs.

This Story also Contains

  1. Avogadro’s Law
  2. Some Solved Examples
  3. Summary
Avogadro's Law: Definition, Formula, Equation, Examples, Questions
Avogadro's Law

Avogadro’s Law

According to Avogadro's law, "At constant temperature and pressure, an equal volume of gases will have the same number of molecules or moles "

$
\begin{aligned}
& \mathrm{V} \propto \mathrm{N} \text { or } \mathrm{n} \\
& V / n=\text { constant } \\
& \frac{V_1}{N_1}=\frac{V_2}{N_2} \text { or } \frac{V_1}{n_1}=\frac{V_2}{n_2}
\end{aligned}
$

Here $\mathrm{n}=$ Number of moles of gas used
Here $\mathrm{N}=$ Number of molecules of gas used

Molar Volume or Gram Molecular Volume
1 mole of a gaseous substance has 22.4-litre volume at NTP which is known as its molar volume.

Avogadro Number
1 mole of a substance contains $6.02 \times 10^{23}$number of molecules.

1 gram atom of any element contains $6.02 \times 10^{23}$atoms,

Hence $\mathrm{N}_A=6.02 \times 10^{23}$

Recommended topic video on (Avogadro's Law )


Some Solved Examples

Example 1: If a mixture containing 3 moles of Hydrogen and 1 mole of Nitrogen is converted completely into Ammonia, the ratio of initial and final volume under the same temperature and pressure would be:

1)3 : 1

2)1 : 3

3) 2 : 1
4)1 : 2

Solution

N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3
Initial = 1 3

final = – – 2

Total Initial moles = 4

Total final moles = 2

The ratio of moles = final/ initial

ratio $=\frac{4}{2}=\frac{2}{1}$

Avogadro’s Law -
Volume - mole relationship

$\begin{aligned} & \frac{V_1}{n_1}=\frac{V_2}{n_2} \\ & \frac{V_1}{V_2}=\frac{n_1}{n_2} \\ & \frac{V_1}{V_2}=\frac{4}{2}=\frac{2}{1}\end{aligned}$

Option (3) is correct.

Example 2: 50 g of nitrogen gas are contained in a 3 L container. The gas exerts a pressure of 3 atm on the container. If pressure is kept constant, what is the final molar amount of gas present in the container if gas is added until the volume has increased to 5 L ?

1)4

2) 3

3)2

4)5

Solution

We have given:
Mass of $N_2$ = 50g
Thus, moles of $N_2$ = 50/28 = 1.79 moles
Again, $V_i$ = 3 L and $V_f$ = 5L
Now, according to Avogadro’s law, we have:

$\begin{aligned} & \frac{V_i}{n_i}=\frac{V_f}{n_f} \\ & \frac{3}{1.79}=\frac{5}{n_f}\end{aligned}$

Thus, $n_f=3$ moles

Example 3: At 300 K, a sample of 3.0 g of gas A occupies the same volume as 0.2 g of hydrogen at 200 K at the same pressure. The molar mass of gas A is_____________g mol-1. (nearest integer) Assume that the behavior of gases is ideal.

(Given: The molar mass of hydrogen (H2) gas is 2.0 g mol-1.)

1) 45

2)35

3)44

4)46

Solution

Let the molar mass of $\mathrm{A}=\mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{A}}$

Given, A and $\mathrm{H}_2$ occupy the same volume at the same pressure.

$\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{A}}=\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{H}_2}$

So, from the ideal gas equation, we have

$\begin{aligned} & \frac{\mathrm{n}_{\mathrm{A}} \mathrm{RT}_1}{\mathrm{P}}=\frac{\mathrm{n}_{\mathrm{H}_2} \mathrm{RT}_2}{\mathrm{P}} \\ & \Rightarrow 300 \times \mathrm{n}_{\mathrm{A}}=\mathrm{n}_{\mathrm{H}_2} \times 200 \\ & \Rightarrow 300 \times \frac{3.0 \mathrm{~g}}{\mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{A}}}=\frac{0.2 \mathrm{~g}}{2.0 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol}} \times 200 \\ & \Rightarrow \mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{A}}=30 \times \frac{3}{2} \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol} \\ & \Rightarrow \mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{A}}=45 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol}\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is (45).

Example 4: A and B are two identical vessels. A contains 15g Ethane at 1atm and 298K. The vessel B contains 75g of a gas $X_2$ at same temperature and pressure. The vapour density of $X_2$ is :

1) 75

2)150

3)37.5

4)45

Solution

As we learnt in Avogadro’s Law that Volume - Mole relationship can be written as follows:

$\frac{V_1}{n_1}=\frac{V_2}{n_2}$

(Since $V_1$ and $V_2$ are equal as the vessels are identical)

$\begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \frac{V}{n_1}=\frac{V}{n_2} \\ & \Rightarrow n_1=n_2 \\ & \Rightarrow \frac{w_1}{M_1}=\frac{w_2}{M_2}\end{aligned}$

w1 = 15 , w2 = 75

The molar mass of ethane M1 = 30,

$\begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \frac{15}{30}=\frac{75}{M_B} \\ & M_B=150\end{aligned}$
$(V \cdot D)_B=\frac{150}{2}=75$

Example 5: A cylinder with a movable piston contains 2 g of helium, He, at room temperature. More helium was added to the cylinder and the volume was adjusted so that the gas pressure remained the same. How many grams of helium were added to the cylinder if the volume (in g) was changed from 2 L to 2.7 L?

1)27

2)4.3

3)3.7

4) 0.7

Solution

We have,
Amount of He = 2g
Thus, moles of He = 2/4 = 0.5 moles
Initial volume(Vi) = 2 L
Final volume(Vf) = 2.7 L
Now, according to Avogadro’s law, we have

$\frac{V_i}{n_i}=\frac{V_f}{n_f}$

$\frac{2}{0.5}=\frac{2.7}{n_f}$

Total moles of He present in the cylinder

nf = 0.675 moles

Thus the total amount of He = moles X molar mass.

So, the total amount of He = $0.675 \times 4=2.7 g$

Added amount = total amount - initial amount

Added amount = 2.7 - 2 = 0.7 g

Hence, 0.7 g of He is further added.

Summary

Gay-Lussac's Law describes the direct relationship of pressure with temperature for a gas at constant volume. In other words, the pressure and temperature are directly related to a constant volume. The law is formulated by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac. It states that at constant volume, the pressure of a gas will increase if there is an increase in the temperature and decrease if there is a decrease in the temperature. .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How does Avogadro's Law contribute to our understanding of gas solubility in blood and other biological fluids?
A:
Avogadro's Law helps explain why gas solubility in blood is often expressed in terms of volume of gas per volume of blood. Since equal volumes of gases contain equal numbers of molecules, this volume ratio directly relates to the number of gas molecules
Q: Can Avogadro's Law be applied to understand gas behavior in biological systems, such as in the lungs during respiration?
A:
While biological systems are complex, Avogadro's Law helps explain gas exchange in lungs. It supports the understanding that the volume of oxygen entering the bloodstream is proportional to the number of oxygen molecules, which is crucial for modeling respiratory gas exchange.
Q: How does Avogadro's Law help in explaining the behavior of gases in porous materials like zeolites?
A:
Avogadro's Law helps explain gas behavior in porous materials by relating the volume of gas adsorbed to the number of molecules. This is crucial in understanding gas separation processes, where different gases may be selectively adsorbed based on their molecular properties.
Q: What is the significance of Avogadro's Law in understanding the concept of partial molar volume in solution thermodynamics?
A:
Avogadro's Law's concept of relating volume to the number of particles extends to partial molar volume in solutions. Just as gases of equal moles occupy equal volumes, the partial molar volume represents the volume change when adding a mole of solute to a large volume of solution.
Q: How does Avogadro's Law contribute to our understanding of gas effusion rates?
A:
While Avogadro's Law doesn't directly describe effusion rates, it provides a foundation for understanding Graham's Law of Effusion. By establishing that equal volumes of gases contain equal numbers of molecules, it allows us to focus on the effect of molecular mass on effusion rates.
Q: How does Avogadro's Law contribute to our understanding of gas-phase reactions in chemical engineering?
A:
In chemical engineering, Avogadro's Law is crucial for designing and scaling up gas-phase reactors. It allows engineers to relate the volumes of reactant and product gases directly to the number of moles, simplifying calculations for reaction stoichiometry and reactor sizing.
Q: How does Avogadro's Law help explain why gas pressure increases with altitude?
A:
Avogadro's Law doesn't directly explain this, but it helps us understand that the number of gas molecules per unit volume decreases with altitude. This decrease in molecular density, combined with other gas laws, explains the decrease in pressure as altitude increases.
Q: What is the significance of Avogadro's Law in understanding gas adsorption processes?
A:
Avogadro's Law helps in interpreting gas adsorption data. When gases adsorb onto surfaces, the volume of gas adsorbed (at constant T and P) is directly proportional to the number of molecules adsorbed, allowing for quantitative analysis of adsorption processes.
Q: Can Avogadro's Law be applied to gases dissolved in liquids?
A:
Avogadro's Law doesn't directly apply to dissolved gases, as they are not in the gas phase. However, the principle helps in understanding Henry's Law, which describes gas solubility. The amount of dissolved gas is proportional to its partial pressure above the liquid, reflecting a similar volume-to-mole relationship.
Q: How does Avogadro's Law relate to the concept of gas density at different altitudes?
A:
Avogadro's Law helps explain why gas density decreases with altitude. As pressure decreases with height, the volume occupied by a given number of gas molecules increases (according to Boyle's Law). Avogadro's Law then implies that the number of molecules per unit volume (density) must decrease.