Question

The graph below shows the change in pressure as the temperature increases for a 1-mol sample of a gas confined to a 1-L container. The four plots correspond to an ideal gas and three real gases: CO₂, N₂, and Cl₂. (a) At room temperature, all three real gases have a pressure less than the ideal gas. Which van der Waals constant, a or b, accounts for the influence intermolecular forces have in lowering the pressure of a real gas? (b) Use the van der Waals constants in Table 10.3 to match the labels in the plot (A, B, and C) with the respective gases (CO₂, N₂, and Cl₂).