Answer: behaves almost ideally over a pressure range.
- A can no longer ever be liquefied
- B behaves almost ideally over a pressure range
- C suddenly collapses to zero volume
- D reaches its maximum possible pressure
Correct answer: B. behaves almost ideally over a pressure range
Explanation: At its Boyle temperature the effects of attraction and molecular volume cancel, so the gas obeys Boyle’s law over an appreciable pressure range.
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.