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On a spring morning when the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, you fill your tires to a pressure of 2.25 atmospheres. As you ride along, the tire heats up to 45 degrees Celsius due to the friction on the road. What is the pressure in your tires now?

User Ian Davis
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Final answer:

When a tire is heated, the pressure increases due to the increased collisions between gas molecules and tire walls. To calculate the pressure after heating, we can use the ideal gas law equation. Plugging in the given values, the pressure in your tires after heating up to 45 degrees Celsius is approximately 5.06 atmospheres.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a tire is heated, the molecules of gas inside the tire move faster and collide with the tire walls more frequently, increasing the pressure. To calculate the new pressure, we can use the ideal gas law equation:

P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2

Where P1, V1, and T1 are the initial pressure, volume, and temperature, and P2, V2, and T2 are the final pressure, volume, and temperature. Plugging in the given values:

2.25 atmospheres * V1 / 20°C = P2 * V1 / 45°C

To simplify, we can cancel out the volume:
2.25 / 20 = P2 / 45

Cross multiplying:
2.25 * 45 = P2 * 20

P2 = (2.25 * 45) / 20 = 5.0625

Therefore, the pressure in your tires after heating up to 45 degrees Celsius is approximately 5.06 atmospheres.

User Jay Lamont
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