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Multiple Choice
According to the ideal gas law, what happens to the pressure of a gas inside a sealed container if the temperature of the gas decreases, assuming the volume and amount of gas remain constant?
A
The pressure decreases.
B
The pressure remains unchanged.
C
The pressure increases.
D
The pressure fluctuates randomly.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Recall the ideal gas law, which is given by the equation \(P \times V = n \times R \times T\), where \(P\) is pressure, \(V\) is volume, \(n\) is the amount of gas in moles, \(R\) is the ideal gas constant, and \(T\) is the temperature in kelvin.
Identify the variables that remain constant in this problem: the volume \(V\) and the amount of gas \(n\) are constant, and \(R\) is always constant.
Since \(V\) and \(n\) are constant, the equation can be rearranged to show the direct relationship between pressure and temperature: \(P = \frac{n \times R \times T}{V}\).
From this relationship, observe that pressure \(P\) is directly proportional to temperature \(T\) when volume and amount of gas are fixed.
Therefore, if the temperature \(T\) decreases, the pressure \(P\) must also decrease proportionally, meaning the pressure inside the sealed container decreases.