Key Terms
- Page ID
- 415200
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| Words (or words that have the same definition) | The definition is case sensitive | (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] | (Optional) Caption for Image | (Optional) External or Internal Link | (Optional) Source for Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") | (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") | ![]() | The infamous double helix | https://bio.libretexts.org/ | CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen |
| Word(s) | Definition | Image | Caption | Link | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute zero | temperature at which the volume of a gas would be zero according to Charles’s law. | ||||
| Amontons’s law | (also, Gay-Lussac’s law) pressure of a given number of moles of gas is directly proportional to its kelvin temperature when the volume is held constant | ||||
| atmosphere (atm) | unit of pressure; 1 atm = 101,325 Pa | ||||
| Avogadro’s law | volume of a gas at constant temperature and pressure is proportional to the number of gas molecules | ||||
| bar | (bar or b) unit of pressure; 1 bar = 100,000 Pa | ||||
| barometer | device used to measure atmospheric pressure | ||||
| Boyle’s law | volume of a given number of moles of gas held at constant temperature is inversely proportional to the pressure under which it is measured | ||||
| Charles’s law | volume of a given number of moles of gas is directly proportional to its kelvin temperature when the pressure is held constant | ||||
| compressibility factor (Z) | ratio of the experimentally measured molar volume for a gas to its molar volume as computed from the ideal gas equation | ||||
| Dalton’s law of partial pressures | total pressure of a mixture of ideal gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the component gases | ||||
| diffusion | movement of an atom or molecule from a region of relatively high concentration to one of relatively low concentration (discussed in this chapter with regard to gaseous species, but applicable to species in any phase) | ||||
| effusion | transfer of gaseous atoms or molecules from a container to a vacuum through very small openings | ||||
| Graham’s law of effusion | rates of diffusion and effusion of gases are inversely proportional to the square roots of their molecular masses | ||||
| hydrostatic pressure | pressure exerted by a fluid due to gravity | ||||
| ideal gas | hypothetical gas whose physical properties are perfectly described by the gas laws | ||||
| ideal gas constant (R) | constant derived from the ideal gas equation R = 0.08206 L atm mol–1 K–1 or 8.314 L kPa mol–1 K–1 | ||||
| ideal gas law | relation between the pressure, volume, amount, and temperature of a gas under conditions derived by combination of the simple gas laws | ||||
| kinetic molecular theory | theory based on simple principles and assumptions that effectively explains ideal gas behavior | ||||
| manometer | device used to measure the pressure of a gas trapped in a container | ||||
| mean free path | average distance a molecule travels between collisions | ||||
| mole fraction (X) | concentration unit defined as the ratio of the molar amount of a mixture component to the total number of moles of all mixture components | ||||
| partial pressure | pressure exerted by an individual gas in a mixture | ||||
| pascal (Pa) | SI unit of pressure; 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 | ||||
| pounds per square inch (psi) | unit of pressure common in the US | ||||
| pressure | force exerted per unit area | ||||
| rate of diffusion | amount of gas diffusing through a given area over a given time | ||||
| root mean square speed (urms) | measure of average speed for a group of particles calculated as the square root of the average squared speed | ||||
| standard conditions of temperature and pressure (STP) | 273.15 K (0 °C) and 1 atm (101.325 kPa) | ||||
| standard molar volume | volume of 1 mole of gas at STP, approximately 22.4 L for gases behaving ideally | ||||
| torr | unit of pressure; | ||||
| van der Waals equation | modified version of the ideal gas equation containing additional terms to account for non-ideal gas behavior | ||||
| vapor pressure of water | pressure exerted by water vapor in equilibrium with liquid water in a closed container at a specific temperature |


