What distinguishes ideal gases from real gases?

Real gases exhibit deviations from ideal behavior at high pressures due to the intermolecular forces and finite volume of gas particles. In an ideal gas, it is assumed that the gas particles have no volume and that there are no intermolecular forces acting between them. However, at high pressures, the volume occupied by gas particles becomes significant compared to the volume of the container, and the attractive forces between molecules lead to behaviors that violate the ideal gas law.

As pressure increases, the interactions between gas molecules can cause them to occupy less volume than predicted by the ideal gas law. This results in real gases not adhering to the expected relationships defined by the ideal gas equation (PV=nRT). At high pressures, the assumptions made in the ideal gas law break down, highlighting the differences between real and ideal gases.

Understanding this concept is crucial for recognizing the limitations of the ideal gas law and the behavior of gases under non-ideal conditions.