The pressure exerted by a gas in a container depends on? and why?

On the volume, temperature and number of mols..

PV = nRT

The pressure exerted by a gas in a container depends on several factors, namely:

1. Volume: If the volume of the container is reduced, the gas molecules will have less space to move around, leading to more frequent collisions with the container walls and increased pressure. As a result, decreasing the volume will increase the pressure, and vice versa.

2. Temperature: The kinetic theory of gases states that the pressure exerted by a gas is proportional to the average kinetic energy of its molecules. When the temperature of a gas increases, its molecules gain more energy and move with greater speed, resulting in more forceful collisions with the container walls and an increase in pressure. Therefore, raising the temperature increases the pressure, and lowering it decreases the pressure.

3. Number of gas molecules (or amount of gas): Increasing the number of gas molecules in a given volume will result in more frequent collisions with the container walls, leading to a higher pressure. Similarly, reducing the number of gas molecules will lower the pressure. This relationship is governed by Avogadro's law, which states that at constant temperature and pressure, equal volumes of gases contain an equal number of molecules.

4. Type of gas: The pressure exerted by a gas also depends on its molecular weight and composition. Heavier gases have more massive molecules that collide with the container walls with more force, resulting in higher pressures compared to lighter gases at the same conditions. Additionally, gases with more complex molecular structures may have higher intermolecular forces and tend to exert higher pressures.

It's important to note that these factors, volume, temperature, amount of gas, and gas type, are related by various gas laws, such as Boyle's law, Charles's law, and Avogadro's law. These laws provide mathematical relationships between these factors that allow precise calculations of pressure changes in ideal gas systems.