Final answer:
Throwing a sealed jar of pickles into a bonfire will likely result in the jar exploding due to the increase in temperature leading to an expansion of the contents and an increase in pressure, with no room for expansion due to the constant volume.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you throw a sealed jar of pickles into a bonfire, the jar will likely explode. This is due to the fact that as the temperature of the jar increases, both the liquid inside and the glass expand. However, because the lid is sealed, there is no room for the expanding air and pickle brine, which can cause the pressure to increase to the point where it exceeds the strength of the glass jar and results in an explosion.
The two variables responsible for this outcome are temperature and pressure. As per the kinetic-molecular theory, the heat from the bonfire raises the kinetic energy of the molecules inside the jar. If there was an air pocket at the top of the jar, the air could compress and provide some room for the expanding material, which might prevent the explosion. However, when the jar is sealed without any air gap, there isn't any cushion for the expansion, resulting in the pressure building up inside the jar.
Through this process, the volume inside the jar remains constant since the jar is sealed, which, according to the principles of thermodynamics, leads to an increase in pressure when the temperature rises.