One mole of a monoatomic real gas satisfied the equation p V - b = R T where b is a constant. The relationship of interatomic potential V(r) and interatomic distance r for the gas is given by

Step-by-step solution

P V - b = R T ⇒ P V - P b = R T ⇒ P V R T = P b R T + 1 ⇒ Z = 1 + P b R T Hence, Z > 1 at all pressures. This means, repulsive tendencies will be dominant when interatomic distance are small. This means, interatomic potential is never negative but becomes positive at small interatomic distances.