Why is work zero in free expansion if volume changes?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 2K views
Apashanka
Messages
427
Reaction score
15
If a gas is suddenly allowed to expand freely and adibatically inside a container then from the first law of thermodynamics dQ=0,
My question is whether the change of internal energy would be 0 and if it then how would the work done be 0 (since accessible volume of the gas changes inside the container changes)??
Thqnks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Apashanka said:
Thanks that's clear now but temp remains constt for ideal gas but for real gas it decrease ,can you please help me in clearing this concept
Thank you
For a real gas, you have to take into account the interaction between particles. In most cases, there is an overall attractive interaction (negative potential energy) which leads to a decrease in temperature when the gas expands and the attraction between the particle is globally lower because of the greater volume occupied. Note that this is not always true, as each gas has an inversion temperature above which the gas will heat upon expansion. This is already the case at room temperature and pressure for helium.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Lord Jestocost