Which of the following statements about gases is correct according to the ideal gas law?

• A. Gases do not have mass but occupy space.
• B. Gases have mass and occupy space.
• C. Gases neither have mass nor occupy space.
• D. Gases have mass but do not occupy space.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the ideal gas law, which is expressed as \(P \times V = n \times R \times T\), where \(P\) is pressure, \(V\) is volume, \(n\) is the number of moles, \(R\) is the ideal gas constant, and \(T\) is temperature.
2. Understand that the ideal gas law relates the physical properties of gases, implying that gases occupy space (volume \(V\)) and have measurable quantities (moles \(n\)), which correspond to mass.
3. Recognize that the number of moles \(n\) is directly related to the mass of the gas by the formula \(m = n \times M\), where \(m\) is mass and \(M\) is molar mass, indicating gases do have mass.
4. Note that since volume \(V\) is a variable in the ideal gas law, gases must occupy space; otherwise, volume would be zero or undefined.
5. Conclude that the correct statement is that gases have mass and occupy space, consistent with the ideal gas law and the physical nature of gases.