MadSci Network: Chemistry |
Dear Mad Scientists: Most topics in the AP Chemistry curriculum are fairly unambiguous and easily answered using basic chemical principles. While teaching the Van der Waal's equation for real gases, I came across something i did not completely understand: If the "b" constant is correlated to molecular volume, why would the b value for neon be smaller than the value for H or He? I checked the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, and the closest I could come to an explanation was the fact that the b value was also correlated to a compressibility factor. Could you please help? My students and I would really appreciate an answer.
Re: Van der Waals constant (b) for neon
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry. MadSci Home