Which statement best describes the compressibility of a gas? a increasing the temperature of a gas decreases the pressure. b increasing the temperature of a gas increases the pressure. c increasing the pressure on a gas decreases the volume. d increasing the pressure on a gas increases the volume.

The answer is C. Compressing the air reduces the volume and increases the pressure. Compressing the air causes the molecules to collide with one another, and with the walls of the container, at a higher frequency. This is becaue the number of molecules are still the same but now forced in a smaller volume of space. This why the pressure increases wiht reduced volume, while keeping the temperatures constant.

option C. Increasing the pressure on a gas decreases the volume.

Explanation:

Compressibility is the property of matter that relates the change (decrease) of volume under pressure (compression).

It is defined as the relative change in volume compared to a change in pressure.

Gases under normal conditions of pressure and temperature are highly compressible, since the molecules are widely separated.

You can see the inverse relation between pressure and volume in a gas by looking at the ideal gas equation:

pV = nRT

Hence, constant n, R and T means pV = constant, so as p increases V decreases, which leads to the conclusion stated by the option C: increasing the pressure on a gas decreases the volume.