Question

A cylinder with a moving piston expands from an initial volume of 0.400 l against an external pressure of 2.10 atm. The expansion does 228 J of work on the surroundings. What is the final volume of the cylinder?

Answer 1

The final volume of the cylinder is -108.2 L.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the work done by the gas in the expansion, we can use the equation:

Work = -P*ΔV

Where P is the external pressure and ΔV is the change in volume. Rearranging the equation, we can solve for ΔV:

ΔV = Work/(-P)

Substituting the given values, we have:

ΔV = 228 J/(-2.10 atm) = -108.6 L

The final volume of the cylinder is the sum of the initial volume and the change in volume:

Final Volume = Initial Volume + ΔV = 0.400 L + (-108.6 L) = -108.2 L