A method using a gas reservoir and a critical nozzle for determining physical properties and/or quantities relevant to combustion of gas or gas mixtures, the method includes: flowing a gas or gas mixture under pressure from the gas reservoir through the critical nozzle; measuring pressure drop in the gas reservoir as a function of time; determining a gas property factor (Γ*), dependent on physical properties of the gas or gas mixture, based on the measured values of the pressure drop; and determining a desired physical property or quantity relevant to combustion based on the gas property factor (Γ*) through correlation.