Initially a gas of diatomic molecules is contained in a cylinder of volume V1 at a pressure P1 and temperature 250 K . Assuming that 25% of the molecules get dissociated causing a change in number of moles. The pressure of the resulting gas at temperature 2000 K , when contained in a volume 2V1 is given by P2. The ratio P1P2 is ____.
Answer: 5
Solution
Let n0 moles of diatomic gas be present initially, so P1V1=n0R(250). When a quarter of the molecules dissociate, each dissociating molecule gives two atoms: the surviving diatomic molecules number 0.75n0 and the atoms formed number 2(0.25n0)=0.5n0, for a total of n′=1.25n0 moles. Applying the gas law to the final state, P2(2V1)=1.25n0R(2000). Dividing this by P1V1=n0R(250) gives P12P2=2501.25×2000=10, so P1P2=5.