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Part A Two identical vessels are filled, at the same temperature and pressure, with different gases. One is filled with hydrogen and the other with carbon dioxide. Which statement is correct? View Available Hint(s) The hydrogen molecules are moving faster than the carbon dioxide molecules. The carbon dioxide molecules will collide more frequently than the hydrogen molecules. Carbon dioxide molecules will have inelastic collisions. The hydrogen molecules have higher average kinetic energy than the carbon dioxide molecules

Ask by Guzman Bryant. in the United States
Mar 13,2025

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Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

Hydrogen molecules move faster than carbon dioxide molecules.

Solution

To analyze the statements regarding the behavior of hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases in identical vessels at the same temperature and pressure, we can use the principles of kinetic molecular theory and gas laws. 1. **Kinetic Energy and Temperature**: The average kinetic energy of gas molecules is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas. Since both vessels are at the same temperature, the average kinetic energy of the hydrogen and carbon dioxide molecules will be the same. 2. **Molecular Mass and Speed**: The speed of gas molecules is inversely related to their molar mass. Hydrogen (H₂) has a much lower molar mass (approximately 2 g/mol) compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂), which has a molar mass of about 44 g/mol. Therefore, hydrogen molecules will move faster than carbon dioxide molecules. 3. **Collision Frequency**: The frequency of collisions is influenced by the speed of the molecules and their density. Since hydrogen molecules are moving faster, they will collide more frequently with the walls of the vessel than carbon dioxide molecules, despite the lower density of hydrogen. 4. **Type of Collisions**: In ideal gas behavior, collisions between gas molecules are considered elastic, meaning that there is no loss of kinetic energy in the collisions. Therefore, the statement about inelastic collisions is not applicable in this context. Now, let's evaluate the statements: 1. **The hydrogen molecules are moving faster than the carbon dioxide molecules.** - **True** (because of lower molar mass). 2. **The carbon dioxide molecules will collide more frequently than the hydrogen molecules.** - **False** (hydrogen molecules will collide more frequently due to their higher speed). 3. **Carbon dioxide molecules will have inelastic collisions.** - **False** (collisions are elastic in ideal gases). 4. **The hydrogen molecules have higher average kinetic energy than the carbon dioxide molecules.** - **False** (they have the same average kinetic energy at the same temperature). ### Conclusion: The correct statement is: **The hydrogen molecules are moving faster than the carbon dioxide molecules.**

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Bonus Knowledge

The hydrogen molecules are moving faster than the carbon dioxide molecules. This is because lighter gases, like hydrogen (with a molecular weight of about 2 g/mol), move more rapidly compared to heavier gases like carbon dioxide (approximately 44 g/mol). According to the principles of kinetic molecular theory, the average kinetic energy of gas molecules is directly related to their temperature, but lighter molecules will generally exhibit higher speeds. While it's true that both gases have the same average kinetic energy at the same temperature, the key here is that the average speed of the gas molecules varies directly with their mass. Since hydrogen is lighter, it zips around faster than carbon dioxide!

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