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Ch 18: A Macroscopic Description of Matter
Chapter 18, Problem 18

A 20-cm-diameter cylinder that is 40 cm long contains 50 g of oxygen gas at 20°C. d. What is the reading of a pressure gauge attached to the tank?

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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 relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas through the equation PV = nRT. Here, P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is temperature in Kelvin. This law is fundamental for calculating the pressure of gases under various conditions.
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Volume of a Cylinder

The volume of a cylinder can be calculated using the formula V = πr²h, where r is the radius and h is the height. For a cylinder with a diameter of 20 cm, the radius is 10 cm (0.1 m), and the height is 40 cm (0.4 m). Understanding how to compute the volume is essential for determining how much space the gas occupies.
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Pressure Measurement

Pressure is defined as the force exerted per unit area and is measured in pascals (Pa) or atmospheres (atm). In this context, the pressure gauge reading will indicate the pressure of the oxygen gas inside the cylinder, which can be derived from the Ideal Gas Law once the volume and temperature are known.
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