What causes the pressure exerted by a gas on its container?

The pressure exerted by a gas on its container is primarily due to the particle bombardment of the container walls. In a gas, molecules move freely and rapidly in all directions. As these gas molecules collide with the walls of the container, they exert a force on those walls. The cumulative effect of countless molecules hitting the walls leads to the pressure that we measure.

This phenomenon can be understood through the kinetic theory of gases, which states that gas pressure arises from the motion and collision of particles. When these particles collide with a surface, they exert a force on that surface, and the total force distributed over the area of the walls yields the gas pressure.

Other factors mentioned in the options can influence the behavior of the gas but are not the direct cause of the pressure. For example, while gravity does affect the overall behavior of the gas, especially in large volumes or at great heights, it is not responsible for the localized pressure exerted by the gas molecules on the container walls. The weight of the gas molecules also plays a role in other contexts but does not directly explain how pressure is created through collisions. Lastly, temperature does influence gas behavior; it affects the speed of the molecules and thus the pressure, but it is the collisions of the molecules with