Question

. During some actual expansion and compression processes in piston–cylinder devices, the gases have been observed to satisfy the relationship PV n= C, where n and C are constants. Calculate the work done when a gas expands from 350 kPa and 0.03 m3 to a final volume of 0.2 m3 for the case of n = 1.5.

Answer 1

To calculate the work done by a gas expanding in a piston-cylinder device, where the relationship is given by PV^n = C, we use a specific work formula for polytropic processes. With provided values for initial pressure, initial volume, final volume, and n=1.5, we first determine the final pressure and then compute the work done.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the work done during a gas expansion in a piston–cylinder device where the pressure-volume relationship follows the equation PV^n = C, with n and C being constants. This is a physics problem that involves thermodynamics and the work-energy principle. We will use the formula for work done during such a polytropic process, which is W = (P2V2 - P1V1) / (1 - n), where P1 and V1 are the initial pressure and volume, and P2 and V2 are the final pressure and volume respectively.

In this scenario, n is given as 1.5, P1 as 350 kPa, V1 as 0.03 m³, and V2 as 0.2 m³. To find P2, we use the constant C from the initial state and solve for P2 using the final volume. Finally, we plug the values into the work formula to calculate the work done during the expansi .