According to the ideal gas law, what determines the shape and volume of a gas inside a container?

• A. The mass of the gas particles
• B. The type of gas present
• C. The shape and volume of the container
• D. The color of the container

Answer: (C)

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 of gas, \(R\) is the ideal gas constant, and \(T\) is temperature.
2. Understand that gases do not have a fixed shape or volume; instead, they expand to fill the shape and volume of their container.
3. Recognize that the mass of the gas particles or the type of gas does not determine the shape or volume, because ideal gases are assumed to have negligible particle volume and no intermolecular forces.
4. Conclude that the shape and volume of a gas are determined by the shape and volume of the container holding the gas, as the gas particles move freely to occupy the available space.
5. Therefore, the correct answer is that the shape and volume of the container determine the shape and volume of the gas inside it.