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What is an ideal gas? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (h) - 2004
Question (h)
What is an ideal gas?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:What is an ideal gas? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (h) - 2004
Step 1
Definition of an ideal gas
Answer
An ideal gas is defined as a gas that perfectly follows the gas laws, including Boyle's law and the kinetic theory. This means it behaves according to the equation of state for ideal gases, which is represented as:
where:
- is the pressure of the gas,
- is the volume,
- is the number of moles,
- is the ideal gas constant, and
- is the temperature in Kelvin.
An ideal gas is said to behave according to these principles at all values of temperature and pressure.
Step 2
Characteristics of an ideal gas
Answer
It is critical to understand that an ideal gas will obey these gas laws and the assumptions of kinetic theory perfectly. This includes:
- No intermolecular forces: The gas particles do not exert forces on each other except during elastic collisions.
- Point particles: The volume of the gas particles is negligible compared to the volume of the container.
- Elastic collisions: Collisions between gas particles and their containers are perfectly elastic, meaning no kinetic energy is lost.