Under the ideal gas assumptions, what is assumed about intermolecular forces between gas molecules?

Under the ideal gas assumptions, what is assumed about intermolecular forces between gas molecules?

• A. They are completely negligible
• B. They are not present at all times
• C. They are the dominant factor
• D. They determine the color of the gas

Answer: (A)

In the ideal gas picture, intermolecular forces are treated as negligible. The gas molecules are tiny, point-like particles that move freely and only bounce off each other through perfectly elastic collisions. Because any attractive or repulsive forces between molecules are ignored, the energy that matters is the translational kinetic energy, and the behavior of the gas is described by PV = nRT without including any potential-energy terms. This approximation works when molecules are far apart on average and their kinetic energy dominates over any weak attractions. Colors and other properties not tied to motion or collisions aren’t relevant to this model, and real gases only start to deviate from this picture at high pressures or low temperatures when those forces become noticeable.

In the ideal gas picture, intermolecular forces are treated as negligible. The gas molecules are tiny, point-like particles that move freely and only bounce off each other through perfectly elastic collisions. Because any attractive or repulsive forces between molecules are ignored, the energy that matters is the translational kinetic energy, and the behavior of the gas is described by PV = nRT without including any potential-energy terms. This approximation works when molecules are far apart on average and their kinetic energy dominates over any weak attractions. Colors and other properties not tied to motion or collisions aren’t relevant to this model, and real gases only start to deviate from this picture at high pressures or low temperatures when those forces become noticeable.