Van der Waals equation improves gas models from "summary" of Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics by Herbert B. Callen
The Van der Waals equation offers an improvement over the ideal gas model by taking into account the finite volume occupied by gas particles and the attractive forces between them. In the ideal gas model, it is assumed that gas particles have zero volume and do not interact with one another. However, in reality, gas particles do have a finite volume and experience attractive forces that cause deviations from ideal behavior. By incorporating the finite volume of gas particles into the equation, the Van der Waals equation provides a more accurate description of gas behavior, especially at high pressures and low temperatures where the ideal gas model fails to predict experimental observations. The correction for particle volume in the Van der Waals equation results in a lower pressure than predicted by the ideal gas model, as the actual volume available for particle movement is reduced. Furthermore, the Van der Waals equation accounts for the attractive forces between gas particles, which cause them to deviate from ideal behavior by decreasing the pressure exerted by the gas. Attractive forces between particles result in a net decrease in pressure compared to the ideal gas model, as gas particles are not able to exert the full force predicted by the ideal gas law. In summary, the Van der Waals equation improves upon the ideal gas model by considering the finite volume occupied by gas particles and the attractive forces between them. By incorporating these factors, the Van der Waals equation provides a more accurate description of gas behavior, especially at high pressures and low temperatures where the ideal gas model fails to predict experimental observations.
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