Answer: The gas is harder to compress than an ideal gas due to molecular volume effects.
- A Attractive intermolecular forces dominate over repulsive forces at this pressure
- B The gas compresses more easily than an ideal gas would at the same pressure
- C The gas is harder to compress than an ideal gas due to molecular volume effects
- D The gas has fully liquefied into a dense, incompressible liquid phase
Correct answer: C. The gas is harder to compress than an ideal gas due to molecular volume effects
Explanation: Z greater than 1 at high pressure shows the real volume is greater than ideal gas volume because molecular size effects dominate over attraction.
Boyle's law: at constant temperature the pressure of a fixed mass of gas is inversely proportional to its volume (P ∝ 1/V), so the P–V plot is a hyperbola — halving the volume doubles the pressure. Image: Reginaprice2013, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Concept context
Discover why gases expand to fill any container while liquids flow and solids hold their shape. Master the gas laws, the ideal gas equation, and the reasons real gases deviate from ideal behavior.