What is an ideal gas? Under what conditions does a real gas behave ideally?

An ideal gas is a hypothetical gas whose behavior can be described by the ideal gas law, given by the equation PV = nRT. Here, P is the pressure of the gas, V is the volume it occupies, n is the number of moles of the gas, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin. Ideal gases are based on the following assumptions: 1. The volume occupied by the gas molecules is negligible compared to the volume of the container. 2. The gas molecules move randomly, and their collisions with each other and the container walls are elastic (meaning no energy is lost during collisions). 3. There are no intermolecular forces (attraction or repulsion) between the gas molecules.

A real gas behaves ideally under conditions where the assumptions of an ideal gas are reasonably satisfied. These conditions are: 1. Low pressure: At low pressure, the volume occupied by the gas molecules becomes negligible compared to the volume of the container. Also, the impact of intermolecular forces is minimal since the molecules are far apart from each other. 2. High temperature: At high temperatures, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules is much higher than the energy associated with intermolecular forces. Therefore, these forces become insignificant, and the gas behaves more like an ideal gas. In summary, a real gas behaves ideally when the pressure is low, and the temperature is high, ensuring that the assumptions of an ideal gas are reasonably met.