Real Life Examples of Gay Lussac’s Law

Gay Lussac’s Law of Thermodynamics states that when the volume of a gas is held constant, pressure and temperature are directly proportional to each other.

In layman’s when we heat the gas, its pressure will increase. Well, if you want to know more about Gay Laussac’s law, you can check this article. I hope you will love it.

Real Life Examples of Gay Lussac’s Law

• Pressure Cooker
• Bursting of a Tyre
• Fire Extinguisher
• Aerosol Spray
• Working of Bullets
• Water Heater

Pressure Cooker

Well, I am not denying the fact that the world’s first pressure cooker was made by the French inventor Denis Papin. On the other hand, I am also not denying the fact that the science of pressure cookers is solely based on the relationship between temperature and pressure.

The principle of pressure cooking is as simple as Gay Lussac Law. When we apply heat, water inside the pressure cooker vaporizes. Hence steam is produced.

Ahh, one more thing, before applying heat, don’t forget to seal the pressure cooker. Otherwise, there won’t be enough pressure generated to speed up the process of cooking. The sole function of a pressure cooker is to cook food. On the other hand, it can also cause some ill consequences too.

Pressure Cooker Bomb

Well, at the top of the pressure cooker, there is a pressure regulator or Valve. The main function of the valve is to regulate the pressure cooker pressure. Through that valve, the steam is periodically released to maintain the operating pressure inside a pressure cooker.

Now, suppose that somehow the valve malfunctions. As a result, because of the input pressure cooker temperature, the pressure inside a pressure cooker will be jacked up.

Therefore, due to the gay Lussac law, a pressure cooker may explode. Due to the pressure cooker explosion, people around it could be severely hurt.

Bursting of a Tyre

Well, Tyre bursting is quite a common phenomenon on hot sunny days. I mean, even you could have gone through that. And for that, I am really sorry.

But, you may not know that a tire blowout is a direct consequence of the Gay Lussac Law. Because of a hot sunny day, the temperature of the air inside the tire rises.

Therefore, as a consequence of Gay Lussac Law (pressure-temperature law), pressure in tires also increases. Hence, after a certain threshold, a tire bursts.

Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher is a protective device that is primarily used to control or simply extinguish fires. In other words, the purpose of a fire extinguisher is to extinguish the fire. I mean, whenever you see an uncontrolled fire, use the fire extinguisher to control it.

The main parts of a fire extinguisher are as follows. These are a tank, valve, nozzle, propellant, and, fire extinguishing agent. Well, the outer parts of a fire extinguisher are a tank, valve, and nozzle. A valve simply regulates the flow of the fire-extinguishing agent.

Similarly, a nozzle allows us to direct the flow of a fire extinguishing agent. And finally, a tank or simply a cylinder that accommodates the fire extinguishing agent and propellant.

The two main components of a fire extinguisher reside inside the fire extinguisher. One of them is a fire extinguishing agent. Well, it can be a solid, liquid, or gas; simply depending on the basis of utilization.

On the other hand, is a propellant. It is a substance whose main function is to exert pressure on the fire extinguishing agent, of course, when the lever is pressed.

Let’s Play

The working principle of fire extinguishers is quite simple. When you press the lever, the propellant exerts pressure on the fire-extinguishing agent. As a result, the valve opens. Hence, a fire extinguishing agent emerges from the nozzle. Obviously, there can be so many different types of fire extinguishing methods.

Out of all, there are mainly three types of fire extinguishers. These are water fire extinguishers, dry powder fire extinguishers, and CO2 fire extinguishers. Sometimes there is a chance of a fire extinguisher explosion. And, for that; Gay Lussac Law is responsible.

In layman, when the outside temperature increases due to fire. The pressure inside the fire extinguisher also increases. Thus, it can explode. That’s why Strong tanks or cylinders are needed to stop the fire extinguisher from exploding.

Aerosol Spray

The next one on the list is the working of aerosol spray. Again, the working of aerosol spray is quite similar to that of a fire extinguisher. I mean, when you press the lever, the spray comes out.

Well, you should know that sometimes aerosol sprays (for example Deodrants) can explode too. And, the obvious reason behind this is the Gay Lussac Law.

That’s why there is a warning sign outside every deodorant bottle. “pressurized container, protect it from sunlight. do not expose it to a temperature above 50°C”. Because, if you do; you know according to Gay Lussac’s law definition, what will happen next??

Working of a Bullet

Well, no wonder you are well aware of what a bullet is. On the contrary, have you ever wondered how bullets work? ANY GUESS?? The physics of a bullet is principally based on Gay Lussac law.

Plus, Newton’s third law also plays a significant role in firing a shot. In order to understand how a bullet works, you should know the essential parts of a bullet.

There are three components of a bullet. These are primer, propellant or gunpowder, and a proper bullet. All of them are held together in a case or a cartridge.

Let’s Fire a Bullet

When a person pulls the trigger, a spring mechanism hammers a metal firing pin on the back end of the cartridge. Thus, the primer is ignited, which in turn, ignites the propellant.

The ignition of the propellant generates a lot of super-heated gas, increasing the pressure inside a bullet cartridge. Hence, as a result, a bullet is fired from a gun, leaving behind its cartridge.

Water Heaters

I hope that you know what is the water heater. And what does a water heater do? Well, in case you don’t know, the working of an electric water heater is almost similar to that of a pressure cooker. Therefore, it also follows the Gay Lussac Law. When a person switches on the home water heater, the filament inside the water heater gets heated up.

As a consequence, water inside the electric water heater also gets heated up to its threshold temperature. The hot water generated is released through the outlet nozzle. You would have seen that there is a temperature regulator outside a water heater.

The main function of that regulator is to release excessive pressure from the inside of the electric water heater. Just like in the case of a pressure cooker, if the pressure-relief regulator malfunctions; the water heater may explode.

Some other Gay Lussac’s Law Applications in Daily Life

Apart from the above-mentioned ones, I am also mentioning a few here.

• Cooking
• Formation of Hydrogen Chloride Gas
• Propane Tanks
• Chemistry Experiments, etc.

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