Since the expansion is at constant pressure, [itex]W = P\Delta V[/itex]. Be careful in converting units (atm. must be converted to Pa or N/m; litres to m^3). You are given the change in volume and the pressure so it should not be difficult.notsam said:Homework Statement
1 mole of an ideal gas is at 9 atm pressure,
occupies 1 L and has an internal energy of
474 J. The gas is first cooled at constant
volume until its pressure is 1 atm. It is then
allowed to expand at constant pressure until
its volume is 7 L with an internal energy of
766 J.
Calculate the work done by the gas.
Answer in units of J.
The formula for calculating work done by an ideal gas is W = -PΔV, where W represents work, P is the pressure of the gas, and ΔV is the change in volume of the gas.
The units for work done by an ideal gas can be determined using the formula W = -PΔV. The unit for pressure is typically in Pascals (Pa) or atmospheres (atm), and the unit for volume is usually in cubic meters (m^3) or liters (L). Therefore, the unit for work done would be either Joules (J) or liter-atmospheres (L·atm).
Yes, it is still possible to calculate work done by an ideal gas if the process is not isobaric. In this case, the equation W = -PΔV would need to be integrated with respect to the changing pressure and volume throughout the process. This would result in a curve on a pressure-volume graph, and the area under the curve would represent the work done by the gas.
Temperature does not directly affect the work done by an ideal gas. However, it does play a role in determining the pressure and volume of the gas, which in turn affects the work done. According to the ideal gas law (PV = nRT), an increase in temperature would result in an increase in pressure and/or volume, leading to a greater work done by the gas.
Yes, the work done by an ideal gas can be negative. This occurs when the gas is expanding (ΔV is positive) and the pressure is decreasing (P is negative). In this case, the work done would be negative, indicating that energy is being transferred from the gas to its surroundings.