The van der Waals equation accounts for the volume occupied by gas molecules and the attractive forces between them, thus describing real gas behavior.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the van der Waals equation used for?
Solution: The van der Waals equation accounts for the volume occupied by gas molecules and the attractive forces between them, thus describing real gas behavior.
Steps: 4
Step 1: Understand that gases do not always behave like ideal gases, especially under high pressure or low temperature.
Step 2: Learn that the van der Waals equation is a modified version of the ideal gas law.
Step 3: Recognize that the equation includes two important factors: the volume of gas molecules and the attractive forces between them.
Step 4: Realize that by including these factors, the van der Waals equation provides a more accurate description of how real gases behave compared to ideal gases.
