Question

Which of the following gases is most likely to deviate from ideal gas behavior at high pressures and low temperatures?

• A. \( \text{O}_2 \)
• B. \( \text{CO}_2 \)
• C. \( \text{N}_2 \)
• D. \( \text{He} \)

Hint:

At high pressure and low temperature, gases with stronger intermolecular forces deviate more from ideal behavior.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The ideal gas law assumes that gas molecules do not interact with each other and that the volume of gas molecules is negligible. However, at high pressures and low temperatures, real gases deviate from ideal gas behavior due to intermolecular forces and the finite volume of gas molecules. Among the given gases, \( \text{CO}_2 \) has stronger intermolecular forces (due to van der Waals forces) compared to \( \text{O}_2 \), \( \text{N}_2 \), and \( \text{He} \). Therefore, \( \text{CO}_2 \) is most likely to deviate from ideal gas behavior under these conditions. Thus, the correct answer is \( \text{CO}_2 \).