If the temperature of a confined gas is doubled at constant pressure, what change is observed?
A) The volume of the gas is decreased to 1/4 of its original value.
B) The volume of the gas is increased to twice its original value.
C) The density of the gas is doubled.
D) The velocities of the molecules are halved.
To determine the change observed when the temperature of a confined gas is doubled at constant pressure, we need to refer to the ideal gas law. The ideal gas law states that PV = nRT, where P is the pressure of the gas, V is the volume, n is the number of moles, R is the gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin.
In this case, the pressure is held constant, so we can rewrite the ideal gas law as V/T = constant. This means that the ratio of the volume to the temperature is constant.
When the temperature is doubled, this ratio should remain constant. If we double the temperature, the volume must also double to keep the ratio constant. Therefore, the correct answer is:
B) The volume of the gas is increased to twice its original value.