Question

what would happen if a scuba tank (a rigid, sealed gas cylinder) heats up?

a. the pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.

b. the size of the gas particles in the tank would increase.

c. the number of particles in the tank would increase.

d. the density of the gas in the tank would increase

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option using gas laws (specifically the ideal gas law \( PV = nRT \)) and gas particle behavior:

• Option A: The scuba tank is rigid (constant volume \( V \)) and sealed (constant moles \( n \)). From \( PV = nRT \), if temperature \( T \) increases (heating), pressure \( P \) must increase (since \( R \) is constant). This matches gas law behavior.
• Option B: Gas particles’ size (volume) is negligible and does not change with temperature. Heating affects kinetic energy, not particle size. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The tank is sealed, so no particles enter/exit. The number of particles (\( n \)) remains constant. Eliminate C.
• Option D: Density \(

ho = \frac{mass}{volume} \). Mass (and moles \( n \)) is constant, and volume \( V \) is constant (rigid tank). Thus, density remains constant. Eliminate D.

Answer:

A. The pressure exerted by the gas in the tank would increase.