A gas is confined to a cylindrical container of radius 1 cm and length 1 m.The pressure exerted on an end face, compared with the pressure exerted on the long curved face, is:
A)smaller because its area is smaller
B)smaller because most molecules cannot traverse the length of the cylinder without undergoing collisions
C)larger because the face is flat
D)larger because the molecules have a greater distance in which to accelerate before they strike the face
E)none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pressure exerted by a gas on the walls of its container depends on the number of collisions of gas molecules with the walls and their momentum upon collision, not on the shape or orientation of the container's walls. Both the end face and the long curved face experience the same average pressure because pressure in a gas is isotropic, meaning it is exerted equally in all directions. The factors mentioned in the other options, such as the area of the faces, the shape of the faces, or the distance molecules travel before collision, do not affect the average pressure exerted by the gas on different parts of the container's surface.

A Gas Is Confined to a Cylindrical Container of Radius