CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Properties of Substances and Mixtures · Properties of Substances and Mixtures
Problem
Two different gases, N2 and SO2, are each confined to separate 1.50 L containers at 250 K. Each container holds 1.00 mol of gas.
Experimental measurements give the following data:
• Container 1 (N2): measured pressure = 14.1 atm
• Container 2 (SO2): measured pressure = 10.6 atm
For both gases, the ideal-gas equation predicts a pressure of 15.3 atm under the stated conditions.
(a) For each gas, determine whether the dominant cause of the deviation from the ideal prediction is intermolecular attraction or the finite molecular volume. Justify your answer qualitatively.
(b) Compare the magnitudes of the deviations for N2 and SO2 and explain why they differ, making explicit reference to polarity, electron count, and molecular size.