1.000 atm of oxygen gas, placed in a container having a pinhole opening in its side, leaks from the container 2.14 times faster than does 1.000 atm of an unknown gas placed in this same apparatus. Which of these species could be the unknown gas A) Cl₂ B) SF₆ C) Kr D) UF₆ E) Xe

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rate of effusion (leakage) of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass. This means that the gas with the smaller molar mass will effuse faster. Among the given options, only SF6 has a smaller molar mass than oxygen, and therefore it could be the unknown gas. The other options, Cl2, Kr, UF6, and Xe, all have larger molar masses than oxygen and would therefore effuse more slowly, contradicting the given information.

1000 Atm of Oxygen Gas, Placed in a Container Having