135.
What is compressibility factor? What is its value for ideal gas and real gas?
Compressibility factor: The deviation of real gases from ideal behaviour can be studied by plotting a graph between
The quantity
is called compressibility factor and is denoted by Z.
![](/application/zrc/images/qvar/CHEN11087303-2.png)
![](/application/zrc/images/qvar/CHEN11087303-3.png)
For an ideal gas, Z = 1 under all conditions of temperature and pressure.
![](/application/zrc/images/qvar/CHEN11087303-4.png)
gases such as H2, N2, CH4 and CO2 supplies the following information:
(i) Z = 1, for an ideal gas.
(ii) Z < 1, it is called negative deviation. It means that the gas is more compressible than expected from ideal behaviour.
(iii) If Z > 1, it is called positive deviation. It means that the gas is less compressible than expected from ideal behaviour.
It may be noted that:
(a) For N
2, CH
4 and CO
2, Z < 1 at low pressure and Z > 1 at high pressures. This means that these gases are more compressible at low pressures and less compressible at high pressures than expected from ideal behaviour.
(b) For H
2 and He, Z > 1 at low and high pressures. This means that these gases are less compressible than expected from ideal behaviour at all pressures.
(c) At high-pressure Z shows a large deviation from ideal behaviour. However, at very low-pressure Z is nearly equal to 1.
(d) It may also be noted that the deviations decrease with the increase in temperature.
Thus, the real gases behave in a nearly ideal manner only at low pressures and high temperatures.
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