Article
Article
Law of combining volumes
Article By:
Waddington, Thomas C. Formerly, Department of Chemistry, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.150500
The principle that when gases take part in chemical reactions the volumes of the reacting gases and those of the products, if gaseous, are in the ratio of small whole numbers, provided that all measurements are made at the same temperature and pressure. The law is illustrated by the following reactions:
- One volume of chlorine and one volume of hydrogen combines to give two volumes of hydrogen chloride.
- Two volumes of hydrogen and one volume of oxygen combine to give two volumes of steam.
- One volume of ammonia and one volume of hydrogen chloride combine to give solid ammonium chloride.
- One volume of oxygen when heated with solid carbon gives one volume of carbon dioxide.
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