Understanding Cycle Process w/ Diatomic Ideal Gas

  • Level: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Abigale
  • Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Gas Ideal gas
2 replies · 4K views · last reply
Abigale
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Hi,
I try to understand a cycle process with an diatomic ideal Gas.

Question:
Is it possiblie to use the ideal gas law:

[itex]pv=NkT[/itex]

for the diatomic gas?

I thought it is just for monoatomic.

Thx
Abby :redface:
 
Abigale said:
Is it possiblie to use the ideal gas law:

[itex]pv=NkT[/itex]

for the diatomic gas?
Yes, an ideal gas need not be monatomic.
 
DrClaude is right, of course. Almost all the molecules (O2 and N2) in air are diatomic, and at very low densities air obeys pV = nRT more and more closely.
 
Last edited: