When a student heats a gas while keeping its volume constant, the pressure of the gas increases. Here's an explanation based on molecular behavior:
·
Molecular
Kinetic Energy: Heating the gas increases the kinetic energy of the gas
molecules. This means the molecules move faster on average.
·
Collision
Frequency: As the molecules move faster, they collide with the walls of the
container more frequently.
·
Force
of Collisions: Not only do the collisions become more frequent, but the force
of each collision also increases because the molecules are moving faster.
·
Pressure
Increase: Pressure is defined as the force exerted by the gas molecules per
unit area on the walls of the container. With more frequent and more forceful
collisions, the total force exerted on the walls increases.
Thus, when the gas is heated and its
volume is kept constant, the increased kinetic energy of the molecules leads to
more frequent and forceful collisions with the container walls, resulting in an
increase in pressure.