Solving Gas Chamber Problem: Pressure Equality in 3 Compartments

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a gas chamber divided into three compartments, with specific conditions regarding the walls separating them. The original poster questions whether the pressures in all compartments will be equal once thermal equilibrium is reached, given that one compartment is heated and another's volume changes significantly.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the implications of heating one compartment and the resulting pressures in all three compartments at equilibrium. Some participants question the feasibility of the stated final volume of compartment C and its implications for pressure equality.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants raising questions about the problem's setup and the assumptions made regarding pressure equality. There is no explicit consensus, but some guidance is being offered regarding the conditions for mechanical equilibrium.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential inconsistencies in the problem statement, particularly regarding the final volume of compartment C compared to the total volume of the three compartments. This raises questions about the assumptions underlying the original poster's reasoning.

Dr.azwar
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Homework Statement


Consider a rectangular isolated(non-conducting) chamber as shown below. The chamber is divided into three compartments. The wall separating A and B has negligible mass, no friction and is conducting, while the wall separating B and C has negligible mass and friction and is non-conducting.

Initially each compartment has the same amount of air at temperature T, volume V and pressure P. Now compartment A is slowly heated through a heater such that the final volume of C becomes 49V. Now my question is that once equilibrium is attained can I assume that each compartment would have the same pressure? According to the answer given in my book the final pressure in A and C are the same however in B has different pressure. Is this possible?

Homework Equations


PV=nRT

The Attempt at a Solution


since at equilibrium there is to be no movement of walls hence pressure should be the same in all the three chambers[/B]
 
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I don't see any figure. Did you forget to include it?
 
thermodynamics.png
 
There is a lot about this problem statement that doesn't make sense. If the total volume of the 3 chambers is 3V, how can the final volume of chamber C be 49V? Maybe the final volume of chamber C is supposed to be 0.49V? The final pressure in all 3 chambers has to be the same in order for mechanical equilibrium to prevail. If the wall separating A and B is frictionless, massless, and conducting, then, at final equilibrium, chambers A and B will be in exactly the same state of T, P, and V.

Chet
 

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