According to the ideal gas law, how does the pressure of a gas change when it is heated in a rigid (constant volume) container?

• A. The pressure increases as the temperature increases.
• B. The pressure decreases and then increases as the temperature increases.
• C. The pressure decreases as the temperature increases.
• D. The pressure remains constant as the temperature increases.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the ideal gas law: \(P \times V = n \times R \times T\), where \(P\) is pressure, \(V\) is volume, \(n\) is the number of moles, \(R\) is the gas constant, and \(T\) is temperature in Kelvin.
2. Since the container is rigid, the volume \(V\) remains constant, and the amount of gas \(n\) does not change.
3. Rearrange the ideal gas law to express pressure as a function of temperature: \(P = \frac{n \times R \times T}{V}\).
4. Because \(n\), \(R\), and \(V\) are constants in this scenario, pressure \(P\) is directly proportional to temperature \(T\).
5. Therefore, as the temperature \(T\) increases, the pressure \(P\) must also increase.