Did you know that gas is the most common phase of matter in the universe?Gas is one of the primary states of any matter in the world; the other states are solid and liquid. It’s found in stars, planets, and even your own body.Gas is very different from the solid-state. While solid matters have a definite shape and a definite volume, gas has neither of them. It is also much different from the liquid state, for liquid matters have a definite volume (even though they lack a definite shape).In this article, we will discuss some interesting facts about gas. We will cover its physical properties, how it behaves in different environments, and why it is so important to our world. So whether you are a kid who wants to learn more about science, or just someone curious about gas, keep reading!Characteristics Of GasIn this section of the article, we will talk about various characteristics of gases.Gas is a state of matter, one of the principal ones. As a result, it has some similarities with other states of matter. For example, it has mass, it occupies space, and finally, it is made of particles like molecules and atoms. It is the behavior and nature of these particles that determine the state of matter. Gas does not have a shape and volume because gas particles and gas molecules lack the adherent forces that make solid and liquid particles stick together. The particles of gas move around continuously at high speeds, and this physical property makes gas so flexible.Due to this characteristic, the space between two or more gas particles can vary at times. This is also partly applicable to liquid states. For example, the particles in liquid mercury or liquid water can move about only because the adherent forces in this state are not as strong as it is in the solid-state. Consequently, its lower density gives gas the ability to expand and shrink in size. The inflation of a balloon is the best example of this characteristic. However, if you use a rigid container like an iron box or an aluminum can, the gas particles will come closer with the amount of gas put into the container. The more gas you put into it, the less space there will be between two particles.Interestingly, releasing gas from the rigid container does not affect the volume, unlike solids and liquids. The remaining particles will spread inside the container to maintain the volume.Types Of GasThis section of the article will be dedicated to the discussion of different types of gas.The first one is called elemental gases. Some of them are hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, xenon, radon, neon, and argon. The last four are also called noble gases.Butane, carbon dioxide, ethane, germane, acetylene, methane, and propane falls in the category of pure and mixed gases.Lastly, ammonia, bromine, carbon monoxide, arsine, hydrogen bromide, nitrogen dioxide, and methanol are called toxic gases.What is the difference between a gas and a liquid?In this section of the article, we will talk about the differences between the liquid state and the gas state of matter.The first difference is their volume; every liquid matter has a definite volume, but the case is not the same with gases. Gases do not have a fixed volume.The next one is the intermolecular forces. While both gases and liquids have low density, the individual particles of liquids, unlike the particles of gases, tend to stick to one another. That is why gas increases in volume but liquids cannot.Liquids can change their states on both sides: if they reach the boiling point they turn into the gaseous state (like when water boils it becomes water vapor), on the other hand, if they reach the freezing point they will become solid. However, gases remain in their current state even if they hit the boiling point. They can only go to the liquid state at low temperatures. One exception to this principle is carbon dioxide. Solid carbon dioxide directly transforms into gas when it reaches the boiling point.Finally, both liquids and gases have one common characteristic, that is none of them have a definite shape.Did You Know…STP is described as Standard Temperature and Pressure and it marks the pressure of one atmosphere (the amount of pressure exerted, at the sea level, by the atmosphere) and the gas temperature of 32 F (0 C) or 273 K.According to Avogadro’s law, equal volumes of any two gases will have the same number of molecules at the same pressure and the same temperature (STP).Most gases are so complex in nature and behavior that scientists have contrived a theory of the ideal gas to make the whole thing more comprehensive? An ideal gas follows the ideal gas law and can be described by the ideal gas equation: pV = nRT. R here is the ideal gas constant.The value of an ideal gas constant is R = 8.314472 JK^-1 mol^-1.Five rules determine whether gas is ideal or not: it must not have any volume, it must not have any intermolecular forces, collisions among gas molecules must be elastic and must not affect the kinetic energy of the gas, molecules in gases must always be in a random motion, the kinetic energy and temperature of gases must be proportionate to each other.Real gases are the ones that do not completely follow the ideal gas law. Thus, they are also called non-ideal gases. Some important characteristics of real gases are; the molecules in these gases have both volume and mass, molecules have intermolecular forces due to high pressures and low volumes, low temperature causes the intermolecular forces to become significant, and unlike in ideal gases (since there are no intermolecular forces), they can no longer be ignored.
Did you know that gas is the most common phase of matter in the universe?
