Graham's Law in AP Chemistry

Definition

Graham's Law states that the rate of effusion (or diffusion) of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass. In simpler terms, lighter gases will effuse or diffuse faster than heavier gases.

Related terms

Effusion:

Effusion refers to the process by which gas particles escape from a container through a small opening. It can be thought of as similar to water leaking out of a small hole in a bucket.

Rate of Effusion: Rate of effusion is how fast gas particles escape from their container through an opening. It can be compared to how quickly people exit a crowded room when someone opens up another door.

Molar Mass:

Molar mass is the mass of one mole (Avogadro's number) of molecules or atoms in grams. It is like weighing different kinds of fruits at the grocery store - some may weigh more due to their denser composition while others may weigh less due to their lighter structure.