In thermodynamics and gas law calculations, the excluded volume of gas molecules themselves, accounting for the space they physically occupy.
From Latin co- (together) + English volume, indicating a shared or collective volume occupied by particles in a gas or fluid system.
The Van der Waals equation uses covolume to correct ideal gas law for real gases—at very high pressures, gas molecules themselves take up space that must be subtracted, explaining why air compresses differently than theory predicts!
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