A rigid 2.00 L steel cylinder contains only argon gas
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Properties of Substances and Mixtures · Properties of Substances and Mixtures
Problem
A rigid 2.00 L steel cylinder contains only argon gas, initially at 300 K and 1.00 atm. The cylinder is slowly heated to 450 K while its volume remains unchanged.
Assume argon behaves ideally over the temperature range described.
(a) Describe at the particulate level how the average kinetic energy, collision frequency with the container walls, and average intermolecular spacing of the argon atoms change as the temperature is raised from 300 K to 450 K.
(b) Explain, in terms of molecular motion, why the macroscopic pressure changes in the manner predicted by the ideal-gas law for this heating process.
(c) Suppose an equal number of moles of liquid water were sealed in a separate, identically sized rigid steel cylinder at 300 K. Qualitatively compare how the heating process would affect the intermolecular spacing and collision frequency of the liquid water molecules to the changes you described for the argon gas. Justify your comparison based on the nature of intermolecular forces in each phase.