Question

Describe the difference between a real gas and an ideal gas. Identify two examples of each.

Answer 1

An ideal gas is one that has negligible volume, has kinetic energy but no potential energy. Ideal gases neither attract nor repel one another.

The idea gas equation is the following.
PV = nRT.

Answer 2

However for real gases it's a different situation. Real gases have mass, volume and both kinetic and potential energy.

Consider a container. The ideal gas law states that gases don't attract and repel and occupy zero volume. Real gases occupy volume, so in comparison with idea gases one must subtract the volume that the gases occupy from the volume of the container. So the difference is that for real gases there's less volume available to them as opposed to ideal gases. That's where the B term comes from in v-b in the equation below.

Also real gases attract and repel one another, because pressure is defined by the force per area F/A and that's why you have n^2/a in your formula.

P+(n^2/a) x (V-b) = nRT

Answer 3

there are situations that would favor ideal gas behavior such as using low pressure and high temperature. for instance, I believe that at low pressure interactions among particles are minimized, while at high temperatures the kinetic energy of the particles increases to a point that overcomes intermolecular forces.

Answer 4

ideal gas assumes that there is no chemical interaction
real gases have interaction amongst each other. meaning they can collide onto one another.

for instance, two people going to prom who don't hold hands at all, would be considered "ideal gas" behavior. because they do not touch or collide.

however, when they dance and hold hands, its "real gas" behavior.