Final answer:
The pressure exerted by the vapor when both liquid and vapor are present is independent of the volume of the container. This is explained by Boyle's law, which describes the relationship between pressure and volume at a constant temperature and is applicable to gases in equilibrium with their liquid phase.
Step-by-step explanation:
So long as both liquid and vapor are present, the pressure exerted by the vapor is independent of the volume of the container. This is because the system has reached a state of equilibrium where the vapor pressure only depends on the temperature and the identity of the liquid, rather than the space available to it.
This is a demonstration of Boyle's law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when temperature is kept constant. When a gas transitions from the liquid phase to the vapor phase, it exerts a pressure known as the vapor pressure.
If more space is provided (increase in the volume of the container), it does not change the amount of vapor pressure exerted as long as the temperature is constant and there is liquid present that can evaporate to maintain the equilibrium vapor pressure.
Therefore, the question "So long as both liquid and vapor are present, the pressure exerted by the vapor is of the volume of the container." can be answered as (a) Independent.