Liquid water can be separated into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas through electrolysis. 1 mole of hydrogen gas and 0.5 moles of oxygen gas are produced from 1 mole of liquid water and are collected into separate containers of the same volume at the same temperature. Are the pressures of the gases equal? In one to two sentences, use the ideal gas law to explain your answer.(2 points)

1 answer

According to the ideal gas law (PV=nRT), at the same temperature (T) and volume (V), the pressure (P) of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles (n) of that gas. Since there is 1 mole of hydrogen gas and 0.5 moles of oxygen gas in separate containers, the pressure of the hydrogen gas will be twice that of the oxygen gas, meaning the pressures are not equal.