What is Ideal gases: Definition and 82 Discussions

An ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many randomly moving point particles that are not subject to interparticle interactions. The ideal gas concept is useful because it obeys the ideal gas law, a simplified equation of state, and is amenable to analysis under statistical mechanics. The requirement of zero interaction can often be relaxed if, for example, the interaction is perfectly elastic or regarded as point-like collisions.
Under various conditions of temperature and pressure, many real gases behave qualitatively like an ideal gas where the gas molecules (or atoms for monatomic gas) play the role of the ideal particles. Many gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, noble gases, some heavier gases like carbon dioxide and mixtures such as air, can be treated as ideal gases within reasonable tolerances over a considerable parameter range around standard temperature and pressure. Generally, a gas behaves more like an ideal gas at higher temperature and lower pressure, as the potential energy due to intermolecular forces becomes less significant compared with the particles' kinetic energy, and the size of the molecules becomes less significant compared to the empty space between them. One mole of an ideal gas has a volume of 22.710947(13) litres at standard temperature and pressure (a temperature of 273.15 K and an absolute pressure of exactly 105 Pa) as defined by IUPAC since 1982.The ideal gas model tends to fail at lower temperatures or higher pressures, when intermolecular forces and molecular size becomes important. It also fails for most heavy gases, such as many refrigerants, and for gases with strong intermolecular forces, notably water vapor. At high pressures, the volume of a real gas is often considerably larger than that of an ideal gas. At low temperatures, the pressure of a real gas is often considerably less than that of an ideal gas. At some point of low temperature and high pressure, real gases undergo a phase transition, such as to a liquid or a solid. The model of an ideal gas, however, does not describe or allow phase transitions. These must be modeled by more complex equations of state. The deviation from the ideal gas behavior can be described by a dimensionless quantity, the compressibility factor, Z.
The ideal gas model has been explored in both the Newtonian dynamics (as in "kinetic theory") and in quantum mechanics (as a "gas in a box"). The ideal gas model has also been used to model the behavior of electrons in a metal (in the Drude model and the free electron model), and it is one of the most important models in statistical mechanics.
If the pressure of an ideal gas is reduced in a throttling process the temperature of the gas does not change. (If the pressure of a real gas is reduced in a throttling process, its temperature either falls or rises, depending on whether its Joule–Thomson coefficient is positive or negative.)

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  1. J

    Work and Ideal Gases: Calculate Initial Volume

    Homework Statement One mole of an ideal gas does 1975 J of work on the surroundings as it expands isothermally to a final pressure of 1.2 atm and a volume of 24 L. find the initial volume. The universal gas constant is 8.31451 J/K mol The Attempt at a Solution Something he...
  2. E

    Maxwell-Boltzman Distribution for Ideal Gases (Thermodynamics)

    I just have a question of this subject, it is a pretty straight forward concept, however there are things that i just can;t figure out, like in any given gas which is the minimum volume required to have a maxwell boltzman distribution, @ 1 atm 273.15 K ? I honestly just can't figure it out...
  3. C

    Material Balance Problem Involving Ideal Gases- Any ?

    Homework Statement A furnace is fired with 1000 feet cubed per hour at 60 degrees F and 1 atm of a natural gas containing the following volumetric analysis: CH4: 80%, C2H6: 16%, O2: 2%, CO2: 1%, and N2: 1%. The exit flue gas temperature is 800 degrees F and the pressure is 760 mm Hg absolute...
  4. D

    Vertebrate and Number of Breaths - Ideal Gases

    Homework Statement The volume of air taken in by warmblooeded vertebrate is 250 L/day at standard temperatutre and pressure (0 Degrees C and 1 atm). If air in lungs is at 43 degrees C under pressure of 440 mm HG and we assume vertebrate takes in average volume of 100cm cubed per breath at...
  5. S

    Thermodynamics regarding ideal gases and the absolute zero.

    Hello colleagues, I have a seminar that i need to turn in a weeks day from now. My professor listed the following questions, guidelines that I should lean on: 1) Is it possible to achieve a temperature bellow absolute zero (-273,15) 2) An ideal gas contracts linearly when decreasing...
  6. A

    Applicability of Bernoulli's principle to ideal gases

    Bernoulli's equation as I understand it is an expression (or possibly a consequence) of conservation of energy in an incompressible fluid flow. My question is: how can the "standard" Bernoulli's equation ever apply to an ideal gas? Wikipedia gives a different version of Bernoulli's...
  7. Saladsamurai

    Thermodynamic properties of ideal gases

    Here are some general questions regarding my current reading. I am looking in my text at 2 equations for specific energy and specific enthalpy: u = u(T,v)\qquad(1) h = h(T,p)\qquad(2) Question 1: Are not the properties fixed by any 2 independent priorities? Why have we chosen to...
  8. K

    Why ideal gases are not used in refrigerator?

    I read somewhere that a special fluid, called hydrofluorocarbon, is used in refrigerator. It carries hot temperature from the refrigerator and put it out. They says that it has a low specific heat capacity and low liquid/gas transition point (room temperature). Now my question is why ideal gas...
  9. K

    Voltage Vs Pressure: Ideal Gases- not so ideal?

    Hi, I was wondering what effects pressures (>100bar) would have on half-cell reactions. Normally, I'd use the Nernst Equation, but under immense pressures the value "R" is no longer ideal (pun intentional). The electrical pressure (voltage) goes up because (I would assume because) the number of...
  10. S

    Ideal Gases equilibrium question

    Homework Statement Containers A and B in the figure hold the same gas. The volume of B is four times the volume of A. The two containers are connected by a thin tube (negligible volume) and a valve that is closed. The gas in A is at 300 K and pressure of 1.0*105Pa. The gas in B is at 400 K and...
  11. T

    Root mean square speed and ideal gases

    Homework Statement At 318 K and 1.04 x 10-2 atm, the density of a gas is 1.75 x 10-5 g/cm3. (a) Find vrms for the gas molecules. (b) Find the molar mass of the gas. Homework Equations vrms= sqrt (3RT/M) pV=nRT pM=dRT pV=(m/M)RT The Attempt at a Solution the main problem i...
  12. H

    Find Hg Vapor Mass in Grams at 20C Room

    Homework Statement Hg is spilled in a laboratory which measures 15.2m long, 6.6m wide, and 2.4m high. Find mercury vapor in grams at 20C room. Given vapor pressure of Hg = 1.7E-6 atm. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Volume= 15.2*6.6*2.4 =240.768 m^3 = 240768 L Temp = 20 +...
  13. G

    How Do I Calculate the Volume of Air Needed for Complete Combustion of Gasoline?

    Homework Statement What volume of air (T=25C, P=1atm) is required for complete combustion of one litter of gasoline? The partial pressure of oxygen in the air is 0.205 atm. One litter of gasoline contains 6.15 moles octane C8H18. Homework Equations The unbalanced reaction is: C8H18...
  14. D

    Solving Mass of PF3 After Reaction: V=0.061L, T=-85C

    a container with a volume of 61cm3 is filled with gas F2 at a pressure of 250mmHg and a temp of -85 C. a small amount of solid P4 is put into the container and a reaction occurs according to P4(s) + 6F2(g)--> 4PF3(g) the container is again cooled to -85 C and the pressure is now measured...
  15. M

    Quick Conceptual Question on Ideal Gases

    Homework Statement Why is the volume of an ideal gas not important? I'm just asking this for my own studying benefit, it's not technically "homework", although we are studying it. My book says that we can draw the fact that the volume of an ideal gas is not important from the fact that...
  16. P

    Thermodynamics about mixtures of ideal gases and vapors

    My question: For gaseous mixture say gas A, B, and C: I knew that X or the mole fraction is equivalent to volumetric fraction, when those gases have pressure and temperature the same with the mixture, and for dalton's law, the summation of the pressure of gases is equivalent to that of the...
  17. M

    Avogadro's Law and Ideal Gases

    Avogadro's Law states that the same volume of two different gases (at the same temperature and pressure) contains the same number of particles. I understand that this hypothesis was first suggested after Gay-Lussac's experiments with electrolysis showed that the volumes of hydrogen and oxygen...
  18. H

    How Does Temperature and Depth Affect the Volume of an Air Bubble in Water?

    [SOLVED] Ideal gases an air bubble of volume 20cm^3 is at the bottom of a lake 40m deep where the temp is 4C, the bubble rises to the surface which is at temp 20C, take the temp of the buble to match that of the surrounding water, just as the bubble reaches the surface, what is it's volume...
  19. O

    Determine the fraction of the volume

    [SOLVED] Ideal Gases Homework Statement A gas has a temperature of 310K and a pressure of 101kPa (a.) find the volume occupied by 1.25 mol of this gas, assuming its ideal. (b.) assuming the gas molecules can be approximated as a small sphere of diameter 2.5x10^-10, determine the fraction of...
  20. A

    Ideal gases: irreversible transformation

    A balloon featured with a negligible thermal capacity contains V_{l}=3l of ideal gas and is immersed in a lake (thermal bath) at the depth of h_{l}=10m beneath the lake surface. If it is brought to the depth of h_{l}=3m, how much is the heat exchange?
  21. S

    Ideal Gases: What Kind of Work?

    Ideal Gases and "Work" Hi When I read up on ideal gases I always find people talking about work extracted from ideal gases. But what kind of work are they talking about? Cheers.
  22. S

    Do Ideal Gases Absorb Heat When Expanded?

    Hi, Do IDEAL gases absorb heat when they expand? I asked a few people this question, half said yes and half said no. Im after a simple yes or no answer with a small explanation to clarify this one. If anyone knows, please reply. Cheers! :smile:
  23. P

    Why Does My Ideal Gas Formula Derivation Not Include Moles?

    I'm trying to show a formula for an ideal gas, but I don't get the right results. Homework Statement For an ideal gas PV = nRT where n is the number of momles. Show that the heat transferred in an infinitesimal quasistatic process of an ideal gas can be written as dQ = \frac{C_V}{nR}VdP...
  24. B

    Adiabatic Processes and Ideal Gases

    Hey. Im doing this question where Air (said to be ideal gas) is compressed from a pressure of 0.1 MPa and Temp 300K to pressure .5 MPa and temperature 480K. We are supposed to determine whether the process is possible to do adiabatically (sorry if that is the wrong spelling). I hadnt done...
  25. A

    Boltzmann distribution and ideal gases

    We know the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for the energy and the speed of a molecule of an ideal gas. Using derivatives it is easy to see that the most probable speed for a gas molecule is given by sqrt(2kT/m), which corresponds to kinetic energy kT. Calculating the most probable energy, we get...
  26. Q

    And for my next trick more ideal gases questions. the joy.

    as promised: a cylinder of volume 2x10^-3 m^3 contains a gas at a pressure of 1.50MNm^-2 and at a temperature of 300K. calculate number of moles. i think I'm ok with this bit: n=(pV)/(RT) =(1.5x10^6)x(2x10^-3) all divided by 8.31x300 gives 1.2033694... calculate number of molecules...
  27. Q

    How Do You Calculate the Density of Hydrogen Gas in a Cylinder?

    ideal gases. what fun. please help! i'm having problems getting sensible answers... 1. a cylinder contains 4.62g of hydrogen at 17C and 2.32 x10^6 Pa calculate number of moles. actual mass/molecular mass= 4.62/2= 2.31 (relative molecular mass given as 2 in the question...is this...
  28. B

    Calculating Entropy Change of Ideal Gas

    I have found the following question on a previous exam paper whilst I've been doing my revision, and have a few questions about how to set up my answer. Question: Calculate the entropy change of 3 moles of an ideal gas when they are isothermally compressed (T = 30° C) from a volume 5V to a...
  29. B

    Speed of Sound in Ideal Gases: Variation & Derivation

    how does the speed of sound vary with temperature in an ideal gas? how do we derive this relation?
  30. S

    Solving the Mystery of Ideal Gases

    hello,i have question to ask here. :smile: 1. which of the following is not correct for an ideal gas? A. the average kinetic energy of the gas increases with temperature B. the force of repulsion between molecules is proportional to the distance between them C. the gas...
  31. B

    Ideal gases and Vector calculus

    In my physics book, the 4 properties of an ideal gase are 1. nonviscous 2. steady flow (laminar) 3. incompressible 4. irrotational My question is the properties of being irrotional the same as the vector functions that have a Curl=O iff irrotational My physics book states the...
  32. A

    Calculating KE of Ideal Gases: Understanding its Independence from Molecule Mass

    when you equate the two formulas for ideal gases, one is evetually left with a formula to calculate the ke. of the ideal gas (3/2kt i think) how come the ke is independent of the mass of the molecule ?
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