Gas Law Calculation: Initial Volume of a Balloon

What was the initial volume of the balloon?

The initial volume of the balloon was **20.1 liters**.

Answer:

The initial volume of the balloon can be calculated based on the given data.

According to the information provided, a 7.23 mol sample of freon gas was placed in a balloon. When 3.50 mol of freon gas was added to the balloon, the volume increased to 27.6 L. We need to determine the initial volume of the balloon before the extra gas was added.

Using the ideal gas law equation, PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is temperature (which remains constant), we can calculate the initial volume of the balloon.

Let's denote the initial volume of the balloon as V1, the initial number of moles of gas as n1, and the final number of moles of gas as n2.

From the given data:

P * V1 = n1 * RT (for the initial condition)

P * 27.6 L = n2 * RT (after adding more gas)

By dividing the two equations, we get:

V1 = (n1 / n2) * 27.6 L

Substitute the values:

V1 = (7.23 mol / 10.73 mol) * 27.6 L ≈ 20.1 L

Therefore, the initial volume of the balloon was approximately 20.1 liters.

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