explain why the molecular size of the individual gas particles has no effect on the total volume of the gas?

Answer 1

An ideal gas is defined as one in which all collisions between atoms or molecules are perfectly eleastic and in which there are no intermolecular attractive forces. One can visualize it as a collection of perfectly hard spheres which collide but which otherwise do not interact with each other. In such a gas, all the internal energy is in the form of kinetic energy and any change in internal energy is accompanied by a change in temperature.

In summary - the volume a gas fills is driven by the ideal gas law discussed above and the size of the molecules has no impact on how the molecules behave when they bump into each other.

Answer 2

For easy modeling and understanding, we consider that the size of the individual gas molecules has no effect on the total volume of the gas because it is a question of relative size.

Usually, measurements are done using large volumes, like in liters whereas one mole of the gas will not even amount to one cubic centimeter or 1 ml. Thus, by ignoring the size of the gas in relation to the volume of the container of the gas, the error is soooooooooo small, that it is more efficient to ignore it in calculations. The case is not true when measuring very small volumes.

However, some gases, no matter how small have some interactions that has to be taken into account especially at low temperatures, that corrections have to be made with the volume factor of the calculations.

So you see, it is NOT TRUE that individual gas particles have no effect-- because they do have an effect -- but for easy calculations and modeling it is easier to make this exception. The assumption is that we consider the gas molecules as POINT masses.

Answer 3

The average distance between the molecules is so great that the size of the molecule is unimportant.

Answer 4

Yeah, Bill Nye the Science Guy told me that one, but i forgot. Sorry. Ask Jeeves....

Answer 5

caz the volume of is to small that it can be ignored