Rankers Physics

Kinetic Theory of Gases: Practice Problem & Solution

Three containers of the same volume contain three different gases. The masses of the molecules are $m_1$, $m_2$ and $m_3$ and the number of molecules in their respective containers are $N_1$, $N_2$ and $N_3$. The gas pressure in the containers are $P_1$, $P_2$ and $P_3$ respectively. All the gases are now mixed and put in one of these containers. The pressure $P$ of the mixture will be: (1991)
$P < (P_1 + P_2 + P_3)$
$P = \frac{P_1 + P_2 + P_3}{3}$
$P = P_1 + P_2 + P_3$
$P > (P_1 + P_2 + P_3)$

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Kinetic Theory of Gases. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

According to Dalton's law of partial pressures, the total pressure of a mixture of non-reacting gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of individual gases. Thus, $P = P_1 + P_2 + P_3$.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *