Why Does Pressure Increase When Dry Ice Sublimates in a Sealed Container? #NCLEXPrep

Which of the following best explains why the pressure exerted by carbon dioxide on the walls of a sealed container increases when dry ice (solid CO₂) sublimates?
The correct answer is Gas CO₂ particles occupy more space. Sublimation is the phase change from solid directly to gas. In the solid state, CO₂ molecules are tightly packed in a rigid lattice; when they become gas, they spread out to fill the entire container volume. This increases the number of gas-phase particles and their collisions with the container walls, leading to a rise in pressure. The molecules do not exert less force, move faster in solid form, or combine into larger molecules—they simply occupy much more volume as a gas.

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