High School

What unit of temperature is used in gas law calculations?

A. degrees Fahrenheit
B. degrees Celsius
C. Kelvin
D. either degrees Celsius or degrees Fahrenheit
E. either degrees Celsius or Kelvin

Answer :

Final answer:

The Kelvin (K) is the unit of temperature used in gas law calculations, as it is an absolute temperature scale essential for accuracy in such calculations.

Option c is correct.

Explanation:

The unit of temperature used in gas law calculations is Kelvin (K). This is because the Kelvin scale is an absolute temperature scale. In gas law calculations, such as the Ideal Gas Law and Charles's Law, temperatures must always be converted to Kelvins to ensure accuracy. This is critical because the volume-temperature relationship and the behavior of gases under different temperatures are based on the Kelvin scale. The conversion from Celsius to Kelvin is done by adding 273.15 to the Celsius temperature (K = °C + 273.15).

It is important to note that while a change in temperature has the same value whether the temperatures are expressed in degrees Celsius or Kelvins, the Kelvin scale is used in calculations to avoid negative numbers and to align with the concept of absolute zero, which is 0 K.

Please note that for a change in temperature, it does not matter if the temperatures are in Celsius or Kelvin because the size of the degree is the same for both scales, but the numerical value is shifted by 273.15 units for the Kelvin scale.