Question

According to the ideal gas equation PV=nRT, if pressure and volume are kept constant and temperature is increased, the equation implies that the number of moles (n) will reduce. Does this reduction in moles suggest that the mass of the gas particles or matter will simply vanish?

a.Yes, the decrease in moles directly implies a disappearance of mass, as per the ideal gas equation.
b.No, the reduction in moles does not mean the mass disappears; it implies a change in the state of the gas particles.
c.The ideal gas equation does not accurately represent the behavior of gases under constant pressure and volume, so the assumption of mass disappearance is incorrect.
d.Mass conservation principles indicate that the mass of the gas particles cannot vanish, even if the number of moles decreases.

Answer 1

The reduction in moles in the ideal gas equation does not imply that mass disappears, but instead typically means gas has left the system, as mass cannot be created or destroyed according to mass conservation principles.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the ideal gas equation PV = nRT, increasing the temperature while keeping pressure (P) and volume (V) constant implies a change in the number of moles (n) of the gas. The question is, if the number of moles decreases, does that mean the mass of the gas simply vanishes? The correct answer is d. Mass conservation principles indicate that the mass of the gas particles cannot vanish, even if the number of moles decreases.

This principle is fundamental to chemistry, stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. The ideal gas law itself does not account for the disappearance of mass; it simply describes the relationship between gas variables (P, V, n, T). A reduction in moles suggested by the equation would typically imply that gas has exited the system, not that the mass has vanished.