Why is the pressure of a gas directly proportional to the number of particles?

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Prepare for the ACS Organic Chemistry Test with multiple choice questions and comprehensive explanations. Utilize flashcards for quick learning and gain confidence for your exam day!

Multiple Choice

Why is the pressure of a gas directly proportional to the number of particles?

Explanation:
Pressure comes from molecules colliding with the walls of the container. If you keep the volume and temperature fixed and simply add more particles, collisions with the walls happen more often, so the average impulse delivered per unit area increases and the pressure rises. In other words, pressure is proportional to how many particles are present when V and T are fixed, which is why P ∝ N. This aligns with the ideal gas law in the form PV = nRT: with V and T constant, pressure increases in proportion to the amount of substance, and the amount of substance grows with the number of particles. The other relations describe how pressure changes with volume or with temperature, not directly with particle number, so they don’t capture the direct link to N.

Pressure comes from molecules colliding with the walls of the container. If you keep the volume and temperature fixed and simply add more particles, collisions with the walls happen more often, so the average impulse delivered per unit area increases and the pressure rises. In other words, pressure is proportional to how many particles are present when V and T are fixed, which is why P ∝ N. This aligns with the ideal gas law in the form PV = nRT: with V and T constant, pressure increases in proportion to the amount of substance, and the amount of substance grows with the number of particles. The other relations describe how pressure changes with volume or with temperature, not directly with particle number, so they don’t capture the direct link to N.

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