What would happen if a scuba tank (a rigid, sealed gas cylinder) heats up?

Question

A) The pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.
B) The size of the gas particles in the tank would increase.
C) The number of particles in the tank would increase.
D) The density of the gas in the tank would increase.

Answer 1

If a scuba tank heats up, the most relevant consequence is:

A) The pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.

According to the ideal gas law (PV = nRT), if the volume (V) and the amount of gas (n) remain constant, an increase in temperature (T) will result in an increase in pressure (P). Therefore, if the scuba tank heats up, the pressure of the gas inside would increase.

The other options are not correct: B) The size of the gas particles does not change with temperature; gas particles behave as small spheres regardless of temperature. C) The number of particles in the tank would not increase unless gas was added. D) The density of the gas would actually decrease with increasing temperature if the number of gas particles remains constant, as density is mass divided by volume, and an increase in temperature leads to an increase in pressure without changing the mass or volume significantly in this context.

So the correct answer is A.