If you increase the pressure of a gas while keeping its volume constant, what happens to the temperature of the gas?

• A. The temperature increases.
• B. The temperature remains the same.
• C. The temperature decreases.
• D. The temperature first increases, then decreases.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the ideal gas law, which relates pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), and number of moles (n): \(P \times V = n \times R \times T\), where \(R\) is the ideal gas constant.
2. Since the volume \(V\) and the amount of gas \(n\) are constant, the equation simplifies to \(P \propto T\), meaning pressure is directly proportional to temperature.
3. If the pressure increases while volume is constant, then the temperature must also increase to maintain the relationship.
4. This direct proportionality means that increasing pressure compresses the gas molecules, causing them to move faster and thus increasing the temperature.
5. Therefore, when pressure increases at constant volume, the temperature of the gas increases.