4.2 Derivation of the Pressure Exerted by a Perfect Gas
In order to calculate the pressure exerted by a gas, we have to make some fundamental assumptions; they are as follows:
- A gas consists of molecules which are identical and can be treated as small, hard elastic spheres moving at random in all directions with all possible velocities.
- The molecules are treated as mass points, that is, their volume is negligible in comparison to the volume of the container.
- During their motion, molecules collide with each other and with the walls of the container.
- The collisions are considered to be perfectly elastic; there is no loss of kinetic energy when the collision occurs.
- Though the molecules are incessantly colliding with each other, they do not affect ...