Rule of thumb · Materials and ElementsNº 95 / 238

In a sealed container a gas’s pressure goes with the kelvin temperature, not the Celsius one

How much does heating a gas raise its pressure?

The absolute pressure of a sealed gas is proportional to its temperature in kelvin: heating a tyre from 20 °C to 50 °C raises its absolute pressure by 10 percent, and doubling it takes 586 K, which is 313 °C.

Why it works

Hotter molecules hit the walls harder and more often, and the pressure is in proportion to their mean kinetic energy, which is in proportion to the kelvin temperature (Gay-Lussac). A tyre at 2.2 bar gauge, which is 3.2 bar absolute, at 20 °C reads about 2.5 bar gauge at 50 °C, which is why a tyre is checked cold.

When it fails

The volume and the amount must be fixed (a tyre grows a little as it warms, and it leaks), and the law needs absolute pressure, not the gauge reading above the atmosphere. A gas that can condense, like steam, does not follow it near its boiling point.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

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More in Materials and Elements

← PreviousA mole of any gas fills about 24 litres at room temperature and pressure Next →At one temperature lighter gas molecules are faster, as one over the square root of their mass

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