Why does gas expand without temperature increase or external force?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of gas expansion in the absence of temperature increase or external force. Participants explore the concepts of entropy, the limitations of gas expansion, and the behavior of gas in vacuum conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions why gas expands to fill a container without an increase in temperature or applied force, expressing confusion about the rising effect of gas in air versus its expanding effect.
  • Another participant attributes gas expansion to entropy, suggesting that a gas in a container will redistribute itself to achieve a more uniform concentration, which is a state of lower energy.
  • A participant notes that most sources attribute gas expansion to heat supplied, leading to confusion about expansion occurring without heat input.
  • There is a mention of the limit of gas expansion, with one participant asking how to determine this limit when no temperature increase is present.
  • One participant asserts that gas can expand in a vacuum only with heat supply, while also referencing the ideal gas law (pV = nRT) to discuss temperature differences.
  • Uncertainty is expressed regarding the limit of gas expansion, with no clear consensus on how it can be determined.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the mechanisms behind gas expansion without temperature increase, and multiple competing views remain regarding the role of entropy and the conditions under which gas can expand.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the definitions and implications of entropy, the conditions for gas expansion in vacuum, and the limitations of gas expansion without temperature increase. The discussion includes references to the ideal gas law, but its applicability is not universally accepted among participants.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring thermodynamics, gas laws, and the principles of entropy in physics.

batballbat
Messages
127
Reaction score
0
1. why does gas expand to fill a container when there is no increase in temperature or any force applied to it? ( I am confused with the rising effect of gas in air and the expanding effect. how can we distinguis it?)

2. how can we determine the limitation of gas expansion when there is no increase in
temperature?

3. will the gas expand in vacuum when there is no increase in temperature?
 
Science news on Phys.org
All of your questions can be answered with 1 word. Entropy.

A container with gas molecules packed together at one side and a vacuum at the other is of higher energy than one with even concentration throughout. Hence the air molecules will redistribute themselves to fill up the entire container. (This is one of the methods used to store energy.)

Rising effect of gas would be due to the density instead.

Not quite sure what you mean by: when there is no increase in temperature.
 
when i searched this question in google, most of the answers i found were of the reason of expansion of gas due to heat supplied to it. So i was wondering why there is gas expansion even without the supply of heat.
i searched the term entropy in wikipedia but am struggling to understand it. Also i need the answer of my second question. i have found that gas expands only to a certain limit. But how can we determine it?
 
Well, gas can expand in a vacuum when there's a supply of heat. Otherwise, if in an enclosed container, just use the ol' pV = constant. To find temperature difference, then it's pV = nRT. This equation is for ideal gases, but it usually still works.

Not too sure abou the limit of gas expansion.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
  • · Replies 109 ·
4
Replies
109
Views
10K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
6K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
7K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
6K