Based on the behavior of molecules in a mixture of gases, which statement best explains why the ideal gas law (PV = nRT) can be applied to mixtures?

• A. The ideal gas law only applies to pure gases, not mixtures.
• B. Only the largest molecules in the mixture contribute to the pressure exerted by the gas.
• C. Each gas in the mixture behaves independently and contributes to the total pressure according to its own number of moles.
• D. The molecules of different gases in a mixture always react chemically, altering the total pressure.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the ideal gas law, \(PV = nRT\), relates the pressure (\(P\)), volume (\(V\)), number of moles (\(n\)), gas constant (\(R\)), and temperature (\(T\)) for an ideal gas.
2. Recall Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, which states that in a mixture of non-reacting gases, each gas exerts a pressure independently of the others, called its partial pressure.
3. Recognize that the total pressure of the gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas, where each partial pressure can be calculated using the ideal gas law for that gas's number of moles.
4. Conclude that because each gas behaves independently and contributes to the total pressure based on its own amount, the ideal gas law can be applied to each component gas in the mixture.
5. Therefore, the ideal gas law applies to mixtures because the gases do not chemically interact and each gas's behavior follows the ideal gas assumptions independently.