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Ch.10 - Gases
Chapter 10, Problem 10a

Consider the following samples of gases:
If the three samples are all at the same temperature, rank them with respect to (a) total pressure

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Identify the ideal gas law equation: PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is moles, R is the gas constant, and T is temperature.
Since the temperature is constant for all samples, focus on the relationship between pressure (P) and moles of gas (n) when volume (V) is also constant.
Recognize that at constant temperature and volume, the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of gas present.
Rank the samples based on the number of moles of gas in each sample, as more moles will result in higher pressure.
Conclude the ranking of the samples from highest to lowest pressure based on the number of moles in each sample.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law, represented as PV=nRT, relates the pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T) of an ideal gas to the number of moles (n) and the ideal gas constant (R). This law is fundamental for understanding how gases behave under varying conditions and is essential for calculating total pressure when multiple gas samples are involved.
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Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures

Dalton's Law states that in a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas. This concept is crucial for ranking the total pressure of different gas samples, as it allows us to consider the contribution of each gas to the overall pressure when they are at the same temperature.
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Gas Properties and Behavior

Understanding the properties of gases, such as their compressibility, expansion, and the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature, is vital for analyzing gas samples. These properties help predict how gases will behave under different conditions, which is necessary for accurately ranking the total pressure of the samples in the given scenario.
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