Combined Gas Law Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the combined gas law calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Formulas Used

Final Volume (V₂)

v2 = (p1 * v1 * t2) / (t1 * p2)

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
p1Initial Pressure (P₁)(atm)1
v1Initial Volume (V₁)(L)10
t1Initial Temperature (T₁)(K)300
p2Final Pressure (P₂)(atm)2
t2Final Temperature (T₂)(K)350

How It Works

Combined Gas Law

Formula

P₁V₁ / T₁ = P₂V₂ / T₂

Solving for V₂: V₂ = (P₁V₁T₂) / (T₁P₂)

This combines Boyle's law (P ∝ 1/V), Charles's law (V ∝ T), and Gay-Lussac's law (P ∝ T) into one equation for a fixed amount of gas.

Worked Example

A gas at 1 atm, 10 L, 300 K is compressed to 2 atm and heated to 350 K.

p1 = 1v1 = 10t1 = 300p2 = 2t2 = 350
  1. 01V₂ = (P₁V₁T₂) / (T₁P₂)
  2. 02V₂ = (1 × 10 × 350) / (300 × 2)
  3. 03V₂ = 3500 / 600
  4. 04V₂ = 5.833 L

Frequently Asked Questions

What laws does the combined gas law combine?

It combines Boyle's law (constant T), Charles's law (constant P), and Gay-Lussac's law (constant V) into one equation.

Does it apply to real gases?

It works well for gases at moderate conditions. At high pressures or low temperatures, use the van der Waals equation.

Must temperature be in Kelvin?

Yes. Using Celsius will give incorrect results because gas laws require absolute temperature.

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Combined Gas Law Calculator