PHYS 1305: Intro to Physics

Chapter 14

GASES

With a side of plasmas

The Atmosphere
Atmosphere a layer of gases

surrounding a planet that is

retained by gravity.
There are two competing factors
that determine the thickness of the
atmosphere:
Kinetic energy of gas molecules
Pull of the planet's gravity
The balance between these two factors is called the
hydrostatic balance the edge of the atmosphere.

The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere
The Magdeburg-hemispheres demonstration in 1654 by
Otto von Guericke showed the large magnitude of
atmospheres pressure.

Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Is the force per unit area
caused by the weight of
air. Units: Pa or N/m2
Varies from one locality
to another.
Not uniform.
Measurements are used
to predict weather
conditions.

Atmospheric Pressure
Pressure exerted against bodies immersed in
the atmosphere result from the weight of air
pressing from above.
At sea level is the pressure is
101 kilopascals (101 kPa).
Weight of air pressing down on
1 m2 at sea level ~ 100,000 N,
so atmospheric pressure
is ~ 105 N/m2 or Pascals (Pa).
1 atmosphere (atm) = ~105 Pa

The Barometer
vacuum

A barometer is a device
that measures atmospheric
pressure.
It consists of a mercury tube
upside down itn a dish filled
with mercury.
The height of the mercury
column in the tube tells the
atmospheric pressure.

Hg

1 atm = 760 mm Hg
760 mm Hg = 760 torr

The Barometer
vacuum

The principle of the barometer:

Mercury column exerts pressure
on the mercury in the dish.
Atmosphere exerts pressure on
the mercury in the dish.
These two pressures must be
equal so that the atmospheric
pressure supports the mercury
column.
Why not use water instead?

Hg

The Barometer
A different kind of barometer is the
aneroid barometer.
A partially exhausted [vacuum]
metal box of air with a flexible lid.
Lid bends in or out as the
atmospheric pressure changes.
The motion of lid is indicated on a
scale.
It can also be calibrated to
measure altitude an altimeter.

Boyles Law
The pressure and volume of an enclosed gas
are inversely proportional.
If you increase pressure, the volume will
decrease by the same factor.
Example: If pressure is doubled, volume will halve.

Boyles Law
The product of the pressure and the volume of a
given amount of gas will always remain the same.

(PV)before = (PV)after
P1V1
= P2V2

Boyles Law
The product of pressure and volume of a given
mass of gas will always remain the same.

PV
LARGE
Pressure

LARGE
Small
Small
Volume Pressure Volume

Buoyancy in Air
Archimedes principle applies to air as well as
liquids, since they are both fluids:
An object surrounded by air is buoyed up by a
force equal to the weight of the air displaced.

Buoyancy in Air
A gas-filled balloon will continue to rise until:
the weight of displaced air equals
the total weight of the balloon.
Or in other words, until the
buoyant force on the balloon
equals its weight.

Buoyancy in Air
Rules for objects floating in air:
When the weight of air displaced by an object is
greater than the weight of the object, it rises.
When the weight of air displaced by an object
equals the weight of the object, it hovers in air.
When the weight of air displaced by an object is
less than the weight of the object, it falls.

Buoyancy in Air
Gas-filled balloons
Gas prevents atmosphere from collapsing them.
Best buoyancy with hydrogen, the lightest gas
(flammable, so seldom used) Hindenburg
disaster.
Next-best buoyancy
with helium

Buoyancy in Air
Gas-filled balloons
Heated air used in sports balloons

Buoyancy in Air
As balloons rise, the atmosphere becomes less dense
with altitude. Hence, the pressure is less and the
volume of the balloon increases Boyle's law.

Bernoullis Principle
Bernoullis principle
discovered by Daniel Bernoulli, a 18th century Swiss
scientist.
applies to a smooth, steady flow
It states that:
Where the speed of a fluid increases, the
internal pressure in the fluid decreases, and
vice-versa.

Bernoullis Principle
Streamlines Thin lines representing fluid motion.
When the lines are spread wide, flow speed is slow
and pressure within the fluid is greater.
When the lines are closer together, flow speed is
faster and pressure within the fluid is less.
Wider streamlines

Closer lines

Slower flow speed

FASTER speed

MORE internal
pressure

less internal
pressure

Bernoullis Principle
Because the volume of water flowing through a pipe
remains constant, the product of the cross-sectional
areas (A) and the speed of flow (v) is EQUAL at any
point.

A1v1

A2v2

BIGGER crosssection

smaller crosssection

slower speed

FASTER speed

MORE internal
pressure

less internal
pressure

Bernoullis Principle
When the water is moving SLOW, the internal
pressure is GREATER, as evidenced by the
SMALLER air bubbles.
When the water is moving FAST, the internal
pressure is LESS, allowing the air bubbles to be
BIGGER.
slower speed

FASTER speed

MORE internal
pressure

less internal
pressure

smaller bubbles

BIGGER bubbles!

Bernoullis Principle
Laminar flow
Smooth steady flow of constant density fluid.

Turbulent flow
As the flow speed reaches a critical point, the
flow becomes chaotic.

Applications of Bernoullis Principle

Plasma

Plasma is the fourth state of matter (after

solids, liquids and gases).

A plasma can be thought of as

an electrified gas.

The atoms that make it up are

ionized, stripped of one or more
electrons, with a corresponding
number of free electrons.

Quasi-neutrality even though a plasma is

composed of positive (+) and negative () charges,
they are generally equal in amount.

Plasma
Plasma is not quite abundant in our immediate
environment, but:
The Sun and other stars contain
plasma.
The aurora borealis (northern
lights) and the aurora australis
(southern lights) are glowing
plasmas in the upper atmosphere.
Layers of low-temperature plasma
encircle the whole Earth.

Plasmas