Question

think back to the simulation lab that you did. what is the best explanation for why the pressure exerted by a sample of gas decreases as the volume of its container is increased. the gas particles collide less energetically with the walls of the container. the gas particles collide less often with the walls of the container. the gas particles lose energy as their container is expanded.

Explanation:

According to the kinetic - molecular theory of gases, pressure is due to the collision of gas particles with the walls of the container. When the volume of the container is increased, the same number of gas particles have more space to move. As a result, the frequency of collisions (number of collisions per unit time) between the gas particles and the walls of the container decreases. The energy of each collision (related to temperature, assuming temperature is constant) does not change in an ideal gas situation (Boyle's law, \(PV = nRT\), when \(n\) and \(T\) are constant). Also, in an ideal gas (no intermolecular forces and elastic collisions), gas particles do not lose energy just because the container is expanded.

Answer:

The gas particles collide less often with the walls of the container.