Would high-pressure, high-temperature air behave as an ideal or real gas?

  • Level: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter s.p.q.r
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Gas Real gas
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 4K views
s.p.q.r
Messages
25
Reaction score
0
If a sample of air had high pressure and high temperature, would it be a real or ideal gas?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If it's air it is a real gas.
Generally at higher pressures gases become less 'real' as the molecules are closer together they interact - which ideal gases don't do.
In other words at low pressures the ideal gas laws are a better approximation.

Similairly at high temperatures the gas is moving around more so most of it's energy is kinetic rather than in any chemical properties of the molecules so it behaves more like an ideal gas.