Under what conditions does an ideal gas typically operate?

An ideal gas operates under conditions of high temperature and low pressure because these conditions minimize the interactions between gas particles and allow them to behave more like an ideal gas, as defined by the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT).

At high temperatures, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules is sufficiently high, leading to rapid movement and reducing the effect of intermolecular forces. This means that the behavior of the gas deviates less from ideality. When the pressure is low, the gas molecules are farther apart, further diminishing the effects of particle interactions and volume of particles themselves. Under these conditions, the gas particles behave more independently of each other, satisfying the assumptions of ideal gas behavior, where gas particles do not exert forces on one another and occupy no volume themselves.

In contrast, in situations characterized by high pressure or low temperature, the volume of the gas particles becomes significant compared to the volume of the container, resulting in deviations from ideal behavior. Under high pressure, particles are forced closer together, increasing the impact of intermolecular forces, while low temperatures reduce kinetic energy leading to potential condensation or solidifying, further departing from ideal gas assumptions.