Two sealed 1 l containers full of gas are at room temperature. Container a has a pressure of 4 atm and container b has a pressure of 2 atm. What must be true about the number densities of the gases in these containers?

Question

Physics

Everett Sutton

30 April, 21:35

Two sealed 1 l containers full of gas are at room temperature. Container a has a pressure of 4 atm and container b has a pressure of 2 atm. What must be true about the number densities of the gases in these containers?

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Answers (1)

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Rogelio Collier · Answer 1

The number density of the gas in container A is twice the number density of the gas in container B.

Explanation:

Here we have

P·V = n·R·T

n = P·V / (RT)

Therefore since V₁ = V₂ and T₁ = T₂

n₁ = P₁V₁ / (RT₁)

n₂ = P₂V₂ / (RT₂)

P₁ = 4 atm

P₂ = 2 atm

n₁ = 4V₁ / (RT₁)

n₂ = 2·V₁ / (RT₁)

∴ n₁ = 2 * n₂

Therefore, the number of moles in container A is two times that in container B and the number density of the gas in container A is two times the number density in container B.

This can be shown based on the fact that the pressure of the container is due to the collision of the gas molecules on the walls of the container, with a kinetic energy that is dependent on temperature and mass, and since the temperature is constant, then the mass of container B is twice that of A and therefore, the number density of container A is twice that of B.