How does ideal gas differ from real gas ? Give detailed explanation? Worth 6 marks

Question

GPT 3.5 · Answer

Ideal gas and real gas differ in several key aspects:

1. Molecular size: Ideal gas assumes that the gas molecules have no volume, and therefore do not occupy any space in the container. In reality, gas molecules do have a finite size, which can affect the behavior of the gas. Real gases experience intermolecular forces and can have size effects, whereas ideal gases do not.

2. Interactions between molecules: Ideal gases assume that there are no interactions between gas molecules. In reality, gas molecules do interact with each other through van der Waals forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding, which can affect the behavior of the gas.

3. Pressure and volume: Ideal gas law assumes that pressure and volume of a gas are directly proportional (Boyle's law) and that temperature and volume are directly proportional (Charles's law). In reality, at high pressures and low temperatures, real gases deviate from ideal behavior due to molecular interactions.

4. Temperature and pressure: Ideal gas law assumes that temperature and pressure have a linear relationship with volume. Real gases do not always follow this relationship, especially at high pressures and low temperatures where the gas molecules are close together and can no longer be considered as point particles.

5. Compressibility factor: Ideal gases have a compressibility factor of 1, meaning that they perfectly obey the ideal gas law. Real gases have a compressibility factor different from 1, indicating deviations from ideal gas behavior.

6. Phase transitions: Ideal gases do not undergo phase transitions, such as condensation or liquefaction, unlike real gases that do exhibit these behaviors at certain temperatures and pressures.

In summary, ideal gases are a theoretical concept that assumes idealized conditions, while real gases take into account the size of gas molecules, molecular interactions, and deviations from ideal behavior at high pressures and low temperatures.