The equipment shown in the diagram was used by a student to investigate the variation with volume, of the pressure p of air, at constant temperature. The air was trapped in a tube of constant cross-sectional area above a column of oil.

The pump forces oil to move up the tube decreasing the volume of the trapped air.
The student measured the height H of the air column and the corresponding air pressure p. After each reduction in the volume the student waited for some time before measuring the pressure. Outline why this was necessary.
Outline how the results of this experiment are consistent with the ideal gas law at constant temperature.
The cross-sectional area of the tube is and the temperature of air is 300 K . Estimate the number of moles of air in the tube.
The equation in (b) may be used to predict the pressure of the air at extremely large values of . Suggest why this will be an unreliable estimate of the pressure.




