Which Gas Behaves Most Ideally: N2, CO, or H2?

[sam.]

Homework Statement

In general, which of the following gases would you expect to behave the most ideally?
a) N_2
b) CO
c) H_2

Homework Equations

N/A

The Attempt at a Solution

Okay, so I know that CO would definitely not behave the most ideally. I tried looking this up on the internet and I read that He would act the most ideally because it is the smallest molecule, and seeing how hydrogen is the next smallest, I think the answer is c) hydrogen gas but then I saw on another site that they said that nitrogen gas was the most ideal...so I am slightly confused. Anybody can shed some light please? Any help is appreciated.

 

[chemisttree]

I wonder if the van der Waals equation and the correction factors could be used to rank the ideality of a particular gas?

 

[Blueshift5]

I would approach this question by examining the ideal gas law and its assumptions. The ideal gas law states that at constant temperature and pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of the gas. It also assumes that the gas molecules have no volume and there are no intermolecular forces between them.

Based on this, we can determine that the gas with the smallest molecular size and the least intermolecular forces would behave the most ideally. This would suggest that hydrogen gas would behave the most ideally, as it has the smallest molecular size and only one proton, making it a non-polar molecule with weak intermolecular forces.

However, we also need to consider the temperature and pressure at which the gases are being compared. At very high temperatures and low pressures, all gases tend to behave more ideally. Therefore, if we are comparing the behavior of these gases at extreme conditions, we may see nitrogen gas behaving the most ideally due to its diatomic nature and larger molecular size compared to hydrogen.

In conclusion, based on the assumptions of the ideal gas law and considering the temperature and pressure, hydrogen gas would be expected to behave the most ideally. However, the behavior of gases can also vary depending on the conditions, so it is important to consider all factors when making a conclusion.