Which of the following is a property of gases according to the ideal gas law?

Gases are characterized by their ability to expand and fill the entire volume of their container. This behavior aligns with the ideal gas law, which describes the relationships between pressure, volume, temperature, and the amount of gas. In contrast to solids and liquids, gases do not have a definite shape or fixed volume; they take on the shape and volume of the container they are in. This property arises because gas particles are far apart and move freely, allowing them to spread out uniformly throughout the available space.

The ideal gas law (PV = nRT) emphasizes that changes in conditions, such as temperature or pressure, can significantly influence the behavior of gases, further demonstrating how they expand to occupy any given volume. This essential characteristic is critical to understanding how gases behave under different conditions and is a fundamental concept in chemistry.