What happens to the pressure of a gas inside a container if the temperature of the gas decreases?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the scenario: a gas in a fixed-volume container experiencing a drop in temperature.
Option 1: 'The pressure increases.' Intuitively, this would contradict the behavior of an ideal gas under constant volume; cooling generally lowers molecular kinetic energy and tends to lower pressure, not raise it.
Option 2: 'The pressure does not change.' This would imply an independence of pressure from temperature, which is not consistent with the ideal gas relationship P ∝ T (at constant n and V). Temperature reductions typically produce lower pressure.
Option 3: 'The pressure decreases.' At constant volume and amount of gas, reducing temperature reduces the average kinetic energy of molecules, leading to fewer collisions with the container walls per unit time and thus a lower pressure. This aligns with the ideal gas law: P = nRT/V, so with T decreasing, P decreases proportionally when n and V are fixed.
Option 4: 'The pressure cannot be predicted.' Given the standard gas-law framework and the condition of fixed volume and amount, the pressure change is predictable from T, so this statement is incorrect.
Overall, the logic of gas behavior under a temperature drop in a closed container points to a drop in pressure, matching the relationship between P and T when V and n are constant.

Chemistry (H) - Varnold - Preparatory Academy - 2nd Semester - 2024/2025 Gases Practice Test for the Final

What happens to the pressure of a gas inside a container if the temperature of the gas decreases?

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