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A monatomic gas is adiabatically compressed to 18of its initial volume. Does each of the following quantities change? If so, does it increase or decrease, and by what factor? If not, why not?

a. The rmsspeed.

b. The mean free path.

c. The thermal energy of the gas.

d. The molar specific heat at constant volume.

Short Answer

Expert verified

a. The rmsspeed increases by a factor of 2.

b. The mean free path decreases by a factor of 8.

c. The thermal energy increases by a factor of 4.

d. The molar specific heat at constant volume of the gas remains constant

Step by step solution

01

Introduction (part a)

a. The following temperature and volume relationship holds for the adiabatic process:

TVγ-1=const

Therefore

T1V1γ-1=T2V2γ-1

This yields

T2T1=V1V2γ-1

in the equation , it is given that V1V2=8so

T2T1=8γ-1

The adiabatic exponent for monoatomic gases is γ=5/3so

T2T1=853-1=823=(83)2=4

As a result, the temperature rises by a factor of ten in this procedure.4. Remember that vrmsis proportional to Tso we have

vrms2vrms1=T2T1=4=2

i.e. The rmsspeed increases by a factor of 2.

02

Step 2:Explanation (part b)

b. The mean free path is given by eq. (20.3)in the book

λ=142πNVr2=V42πNr2

where ris the effective radius of a molecule, Vis the volume of the gas and Nis the number of molecules. All of the quantities in the formula forλ are constant in this process except the volume. SinceλVdecreases by a factor of 8, also λ decreases by a factor of 8.

03

Step 3:Thermal energy of a monoatomic gas (part c)

c. A monoatomic gas's thermal energy is given by

Eth=nCVT

Both the number of moles nand the molar specific heat at constant volume Cvare constant in this process so the only thing that changes is the temperature. Since EthT, since we have found that the temperature increases by a factor of 4then Ethalso increases by a factor of 4.

04

Step 4:Heat of a monoatomic gas (part d)

d. The molar specific heat of a monoatomic gas is just a constant equal to

CV=32R

so it doesn't change in this process.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Equation 20.3is the mean free path of a particle through a gas of identical particles of equal radius. An electron can be thought of as a point particle with zero radius.

a. Find an expression for the mean free path of an electron through a gas.

b. Electrons travel 3kmthrough the Stanford Linear Accelerator. In order for scattering losses to be negligible, the pressure inside the accelerator tube must be reduced to the point where the mean free path is at least 50km. What is the maximum possible pressure inside the accelerator tube, assuming T=20°C?Give your answer in both Paand atm.

6. Suppose you could suddenly increase the speed of every molecule in a gas by a factor of 2.

a. Would the RMS speed of the molecules increase by a factor of 21/2,2,or22? Explain.

b. Would the gas pressure increase by a factor of 21/2,2or 22? Explain.

The two containers of gas in FIGURE Q20.8 are in good thermal

contact with each other but well insulated from the environment. They

have been in contact for a long time and are in thermal equilibrium.

a. Is vrms of helium greater than, less than, or equal to vrms of

argon? Explain.

b. Does the helium have more thermal energy, less thermal

energy, or the same amount of thermal energy as the argon?

Explain.

Scientists studying the behavior of hydrogen at low temperatures need to lower the temperature of 0.50molof hydrogen gas from 300K to 30K. How much thermal energy must they remove from the gas?

1.5m/sis a typical walking speed. At what temperature (in°C)would nitrogen molecules have an rms speed of1.5m/s ?

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