What occurs to the pressure in a gas as the temperature increases while volume remains constant?

Prepare for the Alberta Trade Entrance Exam with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, featuring hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

When the temperature of a gas increases while the volume is held constant, the pressure of the gas increases. This relationship is explained by Gay-Lussac's Law, which states that, for a given mass of gas at constant volume, the pressure of the gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.

As the temperature rises, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules also increases. This means the molecules move faster and collide with the walls of the container more often and with greater force. As a result, these more frequent and forceful collisions lead to an increase in pressure. This behavior can be observed in everyday life, such as in a sealed container of gas that is heated—increasing the temperature will lead to a rise in pressure, which could be dangerous if the container is not designed to handle such increases.

In contrast, other outcomes like unchanged pressure or negative pressure do not accurately reflect the principles of gas behavior under the given conditions, as they do not account for the direct correlation between temperature and pressure. Therefore, the observed increase in pressure when temperature rises at constant volume is consistent with scientific principles governing gas laws.

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