mjc123 said:
mjc123 said:
The internal energy of a system is the sum of its kinetic energy and potential energy. It is a measure of the total energy contained within the system.
In an ideal gas, the internal energy is solely dependent on the temperature of the gas. It is directly proportional to the temperature and is independent of the pressure and volume of the gas.
As the temperature of an ideal gas increases, so does its internal energy. This is because the molecules in the gas gain more kinetic energy, increasing the overall energy of the system.
If the gas undergoes a change in volume at constant temperature, the internal energy remains unchanged. However, if the gas undergoes a change in volume and temperature, the internal energy will change due to the change in kinetic energy of the molecules.
The change in internal energy of an ideal gas can be calculated using the formula ΔU = nCvΔT, where ΔU is the change in internal energy, n is the number of moles of gas, Cv is the molar specific heat at constant volume, and ΔT is the change in temperature.