When a sealed container of gas is placed into a fire, which of the following is most likely to occur?

• A. The gas undergoes an exothermic reaction and the temperature inside decreases.
• B. The gas inside the container cools down and condenses.
• C. The pressure inside the container increases, potentially causing the container to explode.
• D. The container absorbs heat and the gas volume decreases.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the relationship between temperature, pressure, and volume for a gas in a sealed container. Since the container is sealed, the volume remains constant (constant volume).
2. Step 2: Recall the Ideal Gas Law: \(P \times V = n \times R \times T\), where \(P\) is pressure, \(V\) is volume, \(n\) is moles of gas, \(R\) is the gas constant, and \(T\) is temperature in Kelvin.
3. Step 3: Since the container is sealed, \(V\) and \(n\) are constant. When the container is placed in a fire, the temperature \(T\) increases due to heat absorption.
4. Step 4: With \(V\) and \(n\) constant, an increase in \(T\) leads to a proportional increase in pressure \(P\) inside the container, according to the rearranged Ideal Gas Law: \(P = \frac{nRT}{V}\).
5. Step 5: The increased pressure can build up to a point where the container might fail or explode, which explains why the pressure inside the container increases when heated.