Question

On hot days you may have noticed that potato chip bags seem to inflate even though they have not been opened. If I have a 250 mL bag at a temperature of 19 F and I leave it in my car which has a temperature of 60 F what will the new voulume of the bag be?

Answer 1

Cannot be determined

Explanation:

The mechanical strength of the material of the bag provides limits the expansion. Once it reaches the maximum volume, the pressure builds up in the bag. Assuming that the bag does not provide any resistance to the expansion of the gas within, and also assuming that the chips in the bag occupy negligible volume and ideal gas assumption is valid, you may use PV = nRT to solve the problem

Answer 2

The new volume will be 271 ml.

Explanation:

The equation for Charles Law is `V_1/T_1 = V_2/T_2`
Charles law is a direct relationship for volume and temperature as measured in degrees K or absolute temperature.

The temperatures are given in degree F not degree's K.

The temperatures must be changed first to degree's C and then degrees C must be changed to K (Kelvin).

`C^o = ( F -32 ) xx 5/9`

`T_1 C^o = (19-32) xx 5/9`

`T_1C^o = -7.2`

`T_2C^o = ( 60 -32) xx 5/9`

`T_2C^o = 15.5`

`K = C^o + 273`

`T_1 K = -7.2 + 273`

`T_1 K = 266`

`T_2K_ = 15.5 + 273`

`T_2K = 288`

These values for`T_1` and `T_2` can be put into the equation for Charles Law

# V_1 = 250 ml #V_2 = new volume.

`250/266 = V_2/288`

`(250 xx 288)/266 = V_2`

`271 ml = V_2`