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Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law is a fundamental equation in chemistry that describes the behavior of ideal gases:

PV = nRT

Where:

  • P = pressure
  • V = volume
  • n = number of moles
  • R = gas constant
  • T = temperature

Key Concepts​

  • Pressure (P): The force exerted by gas molecules per unit area on the container walls.
  • Volume (V): The space occupied by the gas.
  • Temperature (T): Measures the average kinetic energy of gas molecules.
  • Moles (n): Amount of substance.
  • Gas Constant (R): 0.0821 L·atm/(mol·K) or 8.314 J/(mol·K), depending on units used.

Assumptions of the Ideal Gas Law​

  • Gas molecules have negligible volume.
  • No intermolecular forces between molecules.
  • Gas molecules undergo elastic collisions.
  • Applies best at low pressure and high temperature.

Applications​

  • Calculating unknown variables in gas reactions.
  • Determining molar masses of gases experimentally.
  • Predicting behavior of gases under varying conditions.

Limitations​

  • Real gases deviate from ideal behavior at high pressures and low temperatures due to molecular volume and intermolecular attractions.
  • Corrections are made using the Van der Waals equation for real gases.

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