If there are 80 liters of argon gas in a piston and the piston expands the gas until its volume is 2000 liters with a pressure o

Question

3 years ago

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If there are 80 liters of argon gas in a piston and the piston expands the gas until its volume is 2000 liters with a pressure o

f 0.46 atm, what was the initial pressure of the argon? Temperature is constant at 293 K.
A. 11.5 atm
B. 54.34 atm
C. 251.2 atm
D. 14.83 atm

Chemistry

1 answer:

Mice21 [21] · Answer 1 · 2021-12-16T19:09:54+03:00

Answer: The correct answer is A. 11.5 atm. The temperature is held constant at 293 K, therefore, we can use Boyle's Law to determine the initial pressure. Boyle's Law states that there is an inverse relationship between pressure and volume of gases. Therefore, as volume increases, the pressure will decrease and vice versa.

Further Explanation:

Boyle's Law can be mathematically expressed as:

$P_{initial}V_{initial}\ = P_{final}V_{final}$

In this problem, we are given the values:

P(initial) = ?

V(initial) = 80 L

P (final) = 0.46 atm

V (final) = 2000 L

Plugging in these values into the equation:

$P_{initial}(80 \ L) = \ (0.46 \ atm)(2000 \ L)\\P_{initial} \ = \frac{(0.46 \ atm) \ (2000 \ L)}{80 \ L}\\P_{initial}\ = 11.5 atm\\$

The initial pressure was 11.5 atm. Since the volume increased or expanded, the space where the gas particles move is bigger, so the frequency of collisions with the wall of the container and with other particles are effectively decreased. This, therefore, decreases the pressure from 11.5 to 0.46 atm.

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