Which of the following statements is true regarding the characteristics of an ideal gas?

When considering the characteristics of an ideal gas, it is important to understand the fundamental assumptions that define the behavior of an ideal gas. For an ideal gas, it is assumed that gas molecules collide elastically. This means that during collisions, there is no net loss of kinetic energy; the total energy of the molecules before and after the collision remains constant. This elastic collision is a key aspect of the kinetic molecular theory, which describes the motion of gas molecules and their interactions.

Additionally, ideal gas behavior assumes that molecules do not interact with each other except during these elastic collisions, and that they are far enough apart that their individual molecular volumes and masses do not affect the overall gas behavior significantly. It is this notion of elastic collisions that contributes to many of the derived gas laws, such as the ideal gas law PV=nRT, where temperature is related to the average kinetic energy of the molecules.

The other options provided reflect characteristics that do not align with the ideal gas behavior. Therefore, the statement about gas molecules colliding elastically accurately reflects a fundamental property of ideal gases, confirming its correctness.