Timeline for Why is the ideal gas law so ubiquitous?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2016 at 12:35 | history | edited | orthocresol | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
deleted 39 characters in body
|
| Apr 24, 2016 at 6:34 | comment | added | MaxW | The other factor here is that assuming the ideal gas law typically allows a solution using a liner or quadratic equation. It isn't really a problem for a computer to solve the van der Waal's equation, but it is awful pain in the neck to do by hand - especially so if you solving for two or three gasses. So using the ideal gas equation let's you apply the chemistry without grinding through a lot of tedious mathematical equations. | |
| Aug 31, 2015 at 23:40 | vote | accept | Alex Wong | ||
| Aug 31, 2015 at 8:13 | history | edited | Nanoputian | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added to my answer to clarify why ideal gas equation is still used
|
| Aug 31, 2015 at 8:10 | comment | added | Nanoputian | Well, if they did give you the name of the gas you will be able to use the van der Waal's equation. However you are right to say that it will probably give a result that will only deviate slightly form the result obtained from using the ideal gas law. Which is the reason why the ideal has law is used as it still produces relatively accurate results in most cases while bypassing complicated formulas such as the van der Waal's equation. | |
| Aug 31, 2015 at 8:03 | comment | added | Alex Wong | But I assume that there is another reason for the usage of the ideal gas equation rather than just complicated. Otherwise the answer would be not possible. So let's say that the problem actually gives us the name of the gas. Then I would be able to get a value for the real pressure of the gas using the van der Waal's equation and this value might be close to the value we got using the ideal gas equation. In summary, are you maybe implying that the deviations caused by real gases properties are so small that are not relevant? Which is maybe why the ideal gas law could still be used? | |
| Aug 31, 2015 at 7:42 | history | answered | Nanoputian | CC BY-SA 3.0 |