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Real Gas And Equation

Real Gas And Equation

Edited By Vishal kumar | Updated on Jul 02, 2025 05:33 PM IST

A true gas is one that defies gas laws under all typical pressure and temperature conditions. As the gas gets massive and voluminous, it starts to behave differently from how it should. Real gases have mass, volume, and velocity. When cooled to their boiling point, they liquefy. When compared to the overall amount of gas, the space used by gas is not modest.

Real Gas And Equation
Real Gas And Equation

In this article, we will cover the concept of the real gas equation. This is one of the important concepts in the chapter Kinetic Theory of Gases. It is not only important for board exams but also for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main), National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), and other entrance exams such as SRMJEE, BITSAT, WBJEE and more. In the last ten years of JEE Main and NEET, no direct questions were asked.

What is Real Gas?

Real gas: The gases which do not obey gas Laws are called Real gas.

Two main factors because of which Real gas deviates from ideal gas are:

1) Presence of force of attraction between molecules.

2) The size of molecules is not negligible.

The gases actually found in nature are called real gases.

From the ideal gas equation, we get

For exactly one mole of an ideal gas PVRT=1

The quantity PVRT is called the compressibility factor and should be a unit for an ideal gas.

Plotting the experimentally determined value of PVRT for exactly one mole of various real gases as a function of pressure P shows a deviation from identity as shown in the below graph.

Similarly, real gases show deviation from ideal behaviour as a function of temperature as shown in the below graph.

From the above graphs, we can say that A real gas behaves as an ideal gas most closely at low pressure and high temperature.

Real Gas Equation

The real gas equation, For n moles of gas, is given by

(P+n2aV2)(V−nb)=nRT....... (1)

Where a and b are called Vander wall's constant having dimensions and units as follows:

Dimension : [a]=[ML5T−2] and [b]=[L3]
Units : a=N×m and b=m3
Dimension : [a]=[ML5T−2] and [b]=[L3]
Units : a=N×m and b=m3

As we know the ideal gas equation is PV=nRT...... (2)

From equations (1) and (2) we can say that

The real gas equation is nothing but the ideal gas equation with two corrections (i.e Volume correction and Pressure correction)

These corrections are given by Vander Waal's. So the real gas equation is also known as Vander Waal's gas equation.

  • Volume correction- Due to the finite size of the molecules the effective volume of gas becomes (V –nb).
  • Pressure correction- Due to the presence of intermolecular force in real gases, the effective pressure of gas becomes P+n2aV2

For More Information On Real Gas And Equation, Watch The Below Video:


Solved Example Based on Real Gas And Equation

Example 1: For an oxygen molecule (molecular mass 32 g/mole ), the mass of a single molecule of O2 is P×10−24 gmolecules −1, then what is the value of P ?

1) 85.16

2) 53.14

3) 63.23

4) 38.29

Solution:

Avogadro's Number

NA=Mm

M = molecular mass of the compound

m = mass of single molecules

mO2=MNA=32 g mole−16.022×1023 molecular mole −1mO2=53.14×10−24 gmolecule−1

Hence, the answer is option (2).

Example 2: The compressibility factor for real gas can be -

1) Less than 0

2) Less than 1

3) More than 1

4) Both (2) and (3)

Solution:

We know pressure is inversely proportional to volume. So, if the pressure is high, then the volume will be low.

1. At high pressure, aV2 can be neglected.

PV−Pb=RTPVRT=1+PbRT

In this case, the compressibility factor is greater than 1.

2. At low pressure

If the pressure is low then the volume will be high, V>>b

Hence, the equation becomes-

(P+aV2)(V)=RT

Rearranging this equation, we get

PV=RT−aVPVRT=1−PbRT

In this case, the compressibility factor is less than 1.

So, the compressibility factor can be greater than or less than 1 for real gas

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

Example 3: For which of the following conditions is the law PV = RT obeyed most closely by a real gas,

1) High pressure and high temperature

2) High pressure and low temperature

3) low pressure and low temperature

4) Low-pressure and high-temperature

Solution:

Real gases deviate slightly from ideal gas law because of two main factors.

Two main factors are;

1) The force of attraction between molecules.

2) The size of molecules is not negligible.

And above two criteria will be fulfilled at low pressure and high temperature, and then the real gases behave like ideal gases.

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

Example 4: The equation of the state of a gas is given by P(V−b)=nRT. If 1 mole of a gas is isothermally expanded from volume V to 2 V, the work done during the process is:

1) RTln⁡|2V−bV−b|
2) RTln⁡|V−bV|
3) RTln⁡|V−b2V−b|
4) RTln⁡|VV−b|

Solution:

W=∫PdV=∫V2 VnRTV−bdV=RTln⁡|2 V−bV−b|

Hence, the answer is the option (1).

Summary

In order to determine the velocity and volume of the gas molecules, the general kinetic theory of gases treats the molecules as particles. According to this hypothesis, when gas molecules collide with a container's surface or with each other, the pressure inside the gas molecules rises. This theory is used to assess and determine a number of gas properties.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How does the molecular size of gas particles affect real gas behavior?
The finite size of gas molecules reduces the available volume for molecular motion compared to an ideal gas. This effect becomes more significant at higher pressures when molecules are forced closer together. It causes real gases to occupy more volume than predicted by the ideal gas law, especially at high pressures.
2. How does temperature affect the behavior of real gases compared to ideal gases?
As temperature increases, real gases tend to behave more like ideal gases. This is because higher temperatures increase the kinetic energy of gas molecules, making the effects of intermolecular forces and molecular volume less significant compared to the molecules' motion.
3. What is the significance of the critical point for a real gas?
The critical point is the temperature and pressure at which the liquid and gas phases of a substance become indistinguishable. Above the critical point, the substance exists as a supercritical fluid. Understanding the critical point is crucial for processes involving phase transitions and for applications in supercritical fluid extraction.
4. What is the virial equation of state and how is it used for real gases?
The virial equation of state is an expansion series that describes the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature for real gases. It's written as PV/nRT = 1 + B/V + C/V² + ..., where B, C, etc., are virial coefficients. This equation is useful because it can be adapted to different gases by adjusting the coefficients, providing accurate predictions over a wide range of conditions.
5. What is the significance of the Boyle's law inverse proportionality for real gases?
While Boyle's law (PV = constant at constant temperature) holds true for ideal gases, real gases deviate from this inverse proportionality between pressure and volume. The extent of deviation depends on the gas and the conditions. Understanding these deviations is crucial for accurate predictions of gas behavior in various applications.
6. What is a real gas and how does it differ from an ideal gas?
A real gas is a gas that exists in nature and deviates from ideal gas behavior. Unlike ideal gases, real gases have particles with finite size and experience intermolecular forces. These factors cause real gases to behave differently from ideal gases, especially at high pressures and low temperatures.
7. What is the van der Waals equation and how does it improve upon the ideal gas law?
The van der Waals equation is (P + an²/V²)(V - nb) = nRT, where 'a' and 'b' are constants specific to each gas. It improves upon the ideal gas law by accounting for the finite size of gas molecules (b) and the attractive forces between them (a), making it more accurate for describing real gas behavior.
8. How do intermolecular forces affect the behavior of real gases?
Intermolecular forces cause real gas molecules to attract each other, reducing the pressure they exert on the container walls compared to an ideal gas. This effect is more pronounced at lower temperatures and higher pressures, where molecules are closer together and have less kinetic energy to overcome these attractions.
9. What are compressibility factors and how do they relate to real gases?
Compressibility factors (Z) are ratios of the actual volume of a real gas to the volume predicted by the ideal gas law under the same conditions. When Z = 1, the gas behaves ideally. When Z < 1 or Z > 1, the gas deviates from ideal behavior. Compressibility factors help quantify how much a real gas deviates from ideal gas behavior.
10. What is the Boyle temperature (Boyle point) for a real gas?
The Boyle temperature is the temperature at which a real gas behaves most like an ideal gas over a wide range of pressures. At this temperature, the effects of molecular attractions and repulsions approximately cancel out, making the gas's behavior closer to that predicted by the ideal gas law.
11. Why do we need equations for real gases?
We need equations for real gases because the ideal gas equation (PV = nRT) becomes inaccurate under certain conditions, such as high pressure or low temperature. Real gas equations account for the volume of gas molecules and intermolecular forces, providing more accurate predictions of gas behavior in these conditions.
12. How does pressure affect the deviation of real gases from ideal behavior?
As pressure increases, real gases deviate more from ideal behavior. This is because higher pressure forces gas molecules closer together, making intermolecular forces and the finite size of molecules more significant. At very high pressures, these deviations can become substantial.
13. How do real gas equations account for molecular interactions?
Real gas equations, like the van der Waals equation, include terms that represent attractive and repulsive forces between molecules. For example, the 'a' term in the van der Waals equation accounts for attractive forces, while the 'b' term accounts for the volume occupied by the molecules themselves, which relates to repulsive forces at very close distances.
14. How do real gas behaviors affect industrial processes like gas compression?
In industrial gas compression, real gas behaviors become crucial. As gases are compressed, they deviate more from ideal behavior, affecting the work required for compression and the final volume achieved. Engineers must use real gas equations and compressibility factors to accurately design and operate compression systems, especially for high-pressure applications.
15. What is the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and how does it apply to real gases?
The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution describes the statistical distribution of molecular speeds in a gas. While it was developed for ideal gases, it also applies to real gases with some modifications. For real gases, intermolecular forces can affect the distribution, especially at high densities or low temperatures, leading to deviations from the ideal Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
16. What is the Joule-Thomson effect and how does it relate to real gases?
The Joule-Thomson effect is the temperature change that occurs when a real gas expands at constant enthalpy. Unlike ideal gases, real gases can experience cooling or heating during this process, depending on their initial temperature and pressure. This effect is used in refrigeration and liquefaction processes and demonstrates a key difference between real and ideal gases.
17. How does the concept of fugacity relate to real gases?
Fugacity is a measure of the tendency of a substance to escape from a phase. For real gases, fugacity replaces pressure in thermodynamic equations to account for non-ideal behavior. The ratio of fugacity to pressure (fugacity coefficient) indicates how much a real gas deviates from ideal behavior, with a value of 1 indicating ideal behavior.
18. What is the principle behind the Redlich-Kwong equation of state?
The Redlich-Kwong equation is another real gas equation that improves upon the van der Waals equation. It introduces temperature-dependent terms to better account for intermolecular forces. This equation provides more accurate predictions of gas behavior, especially for non-polar gases at moderate pressures and temperatures.
19. What is the significance of the second virial coefficient in real gas equations?
The second virial coefficient (B in the virial equation) represents the first-order correction to ideal gas behavior due to pair interactions between molecules. It can be positive or negative, depending on whether repulsive or attractive forces dominate. The second virial coefficient is particularly useful for understanding gas behavior at moderate densities.
20. How does the internal energy of a real gas differ from that of an ideal gas?
Unlike ideal gases, the internal energy of a real gas depends not only on temperature but also on volume. This is because real gas molecules interact with each other, storing potential energy in these interactions. This volume dependence of internal energy is a key feature that distinguishes real gases from ideal gases.
21. What is the principle behind the Peng-Robinson equation of state?
The Peng-Robinson equation is an advanced real gas equation that further improves upon the van der Waals and Redlich-Kwong equations. It introduces more sophisticated temperature-dependent terms and is particularly accurate for predicting liquid-vapor equilibrium properties. This equation is widely used in the petroleum and chemical industries.
22. How do real gas effects influence the design of gas storage systems?
Real gas effects are crucial in designing gas storage systems, especially for high-pressure storage. The actual amount of gas stored can be significantly different from what ideal gas calculations would predict. Engineers must use real gas equations and compressibility factors to accurately determine storage capacities and design safe, efficient storage systems.
23. How do real gas behaviors affect the speed of sound in gases?
The speed of sound in a real gas can differ from that predicted by ideal gas theory. This is because the compressibility of a real gas, which affects sound propagation, depends on pressure and temperature in a more complex way than for ideal gases. Understanding these effects is important in applications like acoustics and fluid dynamics.
24. What is the principle behind the Beattie-Bridgeman equation of state?
The Beattie-Bridgeman equation is another real gas equation that introduces five experimentally determined constants to account for molecular interactions and size. It's more complex than the van der Waals equation but can provide more accurate results for some gases over a wider range of conditions, particularly at moderate pressures and temperatures.
25. How do real gas effects influence gas mixture behaviors?
Real gas effects in mixtures are more complex than in pure gases because different types of molecules interact. The behavior of gas mixtures can deviate significantly from ideal mixing rules, especially at high pressures or low temperatures. Understanding these deviations is crucial in applications like natural gas processing and chemical engineering.
26. What is the principle of corresponding states and how does it apply to real gases?
The principle of corresponding states suggests that all gases behave similarly when compared at the same reduced temperature and pressure (relative to their critical points). This principle allows for the generalization of gas behavior and is useful for predicting properties of gases for which limited data is available.
27. How do real gas behaviors affect the Joule-Thomson coefficient?
The Joule-Thomson coefficient, which describes the temperature change of a gas during an isenthalpic expansion, is significantly affected by real gas behavior. Unlike ideal gases, real gases can have positive or negative Joule-Thomson coefficients, leading to cooling or heating during expansion. This effect is crucial in processes like gas liquefaction and refrigeration.
28. What is the significance of the acentric factor in real gas equations?
The acentric factor is a parameter used in some real gas equations to account for the non-sphericity and polarity of gas molecules. It helps improve the accuracy of equations like the Peng-Robinson equation, especially for complex molecules. The acentric factor is particularly useful in predicting thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons and other organic compounds.
29. How do real gas effects influence the calculation of thermodynamic properties like enthalpy and entropy?
For real gases, the calculation of thermodynamic properties like enthalpy and entropy must account for intermolecular forces and the volume of molecules. This leads to more complex equations that depend on both temperature and pressure, unlike ideal gases where these properties primarily depend on temperature. Accurate calculations are crucial for energy balances in chemical processes.
30. What is the concept of residual properties in real gas thermodynamics?
Residual properties are the differences between the actual properties of a real gas and those of an ideal gas at the same temperature and pressure. These properties (like residual volume or residual enthalpy) quantify the deviation from ideal behavior and are essential for accurate thermodynamic calculations in real gas systems.
31. How do real gas behaviors affect the critical compression factor?
The critical compression factor (Zc) is the compressibility factor at the critical point. For ideal gases, Zc would be 1, but for real gases, it's typically between 0.2 and 0.3. This deviation reflects the significant non-ideal behavior of gases near their critical points and is important in understanding phase transitions and supercritical fluid behavior.
32. What is the Benedict-Webb-Rubin equation and how does it improve real gas predictions?
The Benedict-Webb-Rubin equation is a complex equation of state for real gases that uses eight empirical parameters. It provides high accuracy over a wide range of pressures and temperatures, especially for non-polar gases. Its complexity allows for better representation of real gas behavior but requires more computational power to use.
33. How do real gas effects influence gas solubility in liquids?
Real gas effects significantly influence gas solubility in liquids, especially at high pressures. The solubility of a real gas can deviate considerably from that predicted by Henry's law for ideal gases. These deviations are important in processes like carbonation of beverages, gas absorption in industrial scrubbers, and understanding gas exchange in biological systems.
34. What is the concept of fugacity coefficient and how is it used in real gas calculations?
The fugacity coefficient is the ratio of a gas's fugacity to its pressure. It quantifies the deviation of a real gas from ideal behavior. In thermodynamic calculations, the fugacity coefficient is used to modify equations developed for ideal gases, allowing them to be applied to real gases. It's particularly useful in equilibrium calculations and in understanding phase behavior.
35. How do real gas behaviors affect the design of gas separation processes?
Real gas behaviors significantly impact gas separation processes, especially at high pressures or low temperatures. Non-ideal mixing, deviations from Raoult's law, and changes in relative volatilities due to intermolecular forces must be considered. These effects influence the design of distillation columns, membrane separations, and other gas separation technologies.
36. What is the principle behind the Soave modification of the Redlich-Kwong equation?
The Soave modification of the Redlich-Kwong equation introduces a temperature-dependent term to better account for molecular attractions, especially for hydrocarbon systems. This modification improves predictions of vapor-liquid equilibria and is widely used in the petroleum industry for process simulations and phase behavior calculations.
37. How do real gas effects influence the calculation of partial molar properties in gas mixtures?
In real gas mixtures, partial molar properties (like partial molar volume or enthalpy) can deviate significantly from those in ideal mixtures. These deviations arise from non-ideal mixing effects and intermolecular forces between different types of molecules. Accurate calculation of partial molar properties is crucial for understanding and predicting the behavior of gas mixtures in various applications.
38. What is the significance of the Boyle inversion temperature for real gases?
The Boyle inversion temperature is the temperature at which the second virial coefficient of a gas changes sign. Below this temperature, intermolecular attractions dominate, causing the gas to be more compressible than an ideal gas. Above it, repulsions dominate, making the gas less compressible. Understanding this temperature is important for predicting gas behavior across different temperature ranges.
39. How do real gas behaviors affect the design of gas turbines and engines?
Real gas effects are crucial in the design of gas turbines and engines, especially those operating at high pressures and temperatures. These effects influence the compression work, expansion work, and overall efficiency of the system. Engineers must use real gas properties to accurately predict performance and optimize designs, particularly for advanced high-efficiency cycles.
40. What is the concept of generalized compressibility charts and how are they used for real gases?
Generalized compressibility charts are graphical tools that allow the prediction of real gas behavior based on reduced temperature and pressure (relative to critical properties). These charts, based on the principle of corresponding states, provide a quick way to estimate compressibility factors and other properties for various gases without complex calculations, making them valuable in engineering practice.
41. How do real gas effects influence the behavior of gases in porous media?
Real gas effects become significant in porous media, especially in applications like natural gas reservoirs or gas storage in rock formations. The confined spaces in porous media enhance the importance of intermolecular forces and molecular size effects. This influences gas flow, adsorption behavior, and storage capacity calculations in ways that deviate from ideal gas predictions.
42. What is the principle behind the Virial equation truncated to the third term?
The Virial equation truncated to the third term includes the second and third virial coefficients: PV/nRT = 1 + B/V + C/V². This form provides a balance between simplicity and accuracy, capturing both two-body (B) and three-body (C) molecular interactions. It's particularly useful for gases at moderate densities where higher-order terms become less significant.
43. How do real gas behaviors affect the calculation of heat capacities?
For real gases, heat capacities (Cp and Cv) depend not only on temperature but also on pressure, unlike ideal gases. This pressure dependence arises from intermolecular forces and becomes more significant at high pressures or low temperatures. Accurate calculation of heat capacities is crucial for energy balances and thermodynamic cycle analyses involving real gases.
44. What is the significance of the Leiden frost point in real gas behavior?
The Leidenfrost point, while primarily associated with liquid-solid interactions, has implications for real gas behavior near surfaces. It relates to the formation of an insulating vapor layer, which can affect heat transfer and fluid dynamics in high-temperature gas systems. Understanding this phenomenon is important in certain combustion and heat transfer applications involving real gases.
45. How do real gas effects influence the design of cryogenic systems?
Real gas effects are critical in cryogenic systems
Real Gas And Equation

02 Jul'25 05:33 PM

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