Inelastic collision and ideal gas law

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the nature of collisions in gases as described by the ideal gas law, which assumes all collisions between gas molecules are elastic. A specific query regarding the collision between a hydrogen atom and a neutron highlights the complexities of applying the ideal gas law, as it assumes indistinguishable particles. The consensus is that if two identical particles collide, the collision is elastic; otherwise, deviations from the ideal gas approximation occur, necessitating corrections such as those provided by the van der Waals equation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the ideal gas law and its assumptions
  • Knowledge of elastic and inelastic collisions in physics
  • Familiarity with the van der Waals equation and its applications
  • Basic concepts of particle physics, particularly regarding hydrogen and neutrons
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the van der Waals equation and its implications for real gases
  • Explore the differences between elastic and inelastic collisions in detail
  • Investigate the behavior of gases under non-ideal conditions
  • Learn about particle interactions in quantum mechanics
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those studying thermodynamics and kinetic theory, as well as anyone interested in the behavior of gases under various conditions.

i_island0
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I am not even sure if my question itself is correct.
According to ideal gas law, all the collisions for a gas molecules are elastic in nature.
Now, suppose a hydrogen atom collides with a neutron (assuming 1-D motion for simplicity), will i consider that collision to be elastic always, or are there any possibilities of collision being inelastic.
 
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The ideal gas law does indeed assume elastic collisions between the particles that make up the gas. It also assumes that the gas is effectively homogeneous; by which I mean that all the particles that make up the gas are indistinguishable from each other. So talking about a hydrogen atom and a neutron is already something iffy.

But in any event: let's say there are 2 of the SAME particle colliding in an ideal gas. Then yes, that collision is elastic.

If it's not, then the ideal gas approximation is a bad approximation. And there are corrections to it, such as the van der Waals gas, for example.
 

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