Chemistry

Chemistry

Problem

At 300 K300\,\text{K}, a sample of methane exhibits Z=0.92Z=0.92 at 5.0 atm5.0\,\text{atm} and Z=1.04Z=1.04 at 80 atm80\,\text{atm}. Which of the following best explains why ZZ is less than 1 at 5.0 atm5.0\,\text{atm}? a) The finite volume of the methane molecules occupies a significant fraction of the container volume, decreasing the free volume. b) High kinetic energy at 300  K300\;\text{K} leads to more frequent, forceful collisions that increase the measured pressure relative to an ideal gas. c) Intermolecular attractions reduce the measured pressure relative to an ideal gas. d) Random experimental error has led to an overestimation of the amount of gas present, making ZZ appear smaller than 1.

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