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Chapter 11: Problem 98

Are gases denser or less dense than liquids and solids? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Gases are less dense than liquids and solids. This is because the particles in gases are far apart and have negligible forces between them, allowing for greater freedom of movement. In contrast, particles in solids are tightly packed together in a regular pattern with strong forces, making them denser, while particles in liquids are loosely packed with weaker forces between them, making liquids denser than gases but less dense than solids.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Density

Density is a measure of how much mass is present in a given volume. It can be calculated using the following formula: Density = Mass/Volume. In general, solids, liquids, and gases have different densities due to the arrangement of their particles and the strength of the forces between them.
02

Density of Solids

Solids have a definite shape and volume, with particles tightly packed together in a regular pattern. The strong forces between particles hold them close together, which makes solids denser than liquids and gases.
03

Density of Liquids

Liquids have a definite volume but no definite shape, taking the shape of the container they are in. The particles in liquids are loosely packed compared to solids and move more freely, but they are still held together by forces between particles, although they are not as strong as in solids. This makes liquids less dense than solids but denser than gases.
04

Density of Gases

Gases have no definite shape or volume and spread to fill any container they are in. The particles in gases are far apart and have negligible forces between them. They have more freedom of movement compared to solids and liquids, which makes gases significantly less dense than both solids and liquids. In conclusion, gases are less dense than liquids and solids due to the greater distance between their particles and the weaker forces holding them together.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

According to the ideal gas model, why does the chemical identity of a gas not matter when it comes to producing pressure?

According to the ideal gas law, what would happen to the pressure of a gas if you doubled the amount of gas in a container while also tripling the Kelvin temperature of the gas? Explain.

If we continuously compress a real gas in a cylinder with a movable piston while keeping the container at a constant temperature in an ice bath: (a) What will eventually happen to the gas and why? (b) How well will the ideal gas law apply to the real gas shown when it is close to doing what you said it will do in part (a)?

A tank of acetylene gas \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{2}\right)\) contains \(48.5 \mathrm{lb}\) of the gas and is at a pressure of \(600.2 \mathrm{lb} / \mathrm{in} .^{2}\) Express the pressure of the gas in atmospheres and the amount of gas in moles. \([760.0 \mathrm{~mm} \mathrm{Hg}=\) \(\left.14.696 \mathrm{lb} / \mathrm{in} .^{2}, 453.6 \mathrm{~g}=1 \mathrm{lb}\right]\)

Under what two conditions are gas molecules unable to overcome the weak attractive forces that exist between them?
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