Final answer:
The least work required to triple the volume of an ideal gas is in an adiabatic process when compared to isothermal and isobaric processes, as the gas does work on itself which results in a temperature drop. The correct answer is option B.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which thermodynamic process requires the least work to triple the volume of an ideal gas, we must compare the different processes. In an isothermal process, the temperature remains constant, resulting from slow heat exchange. The work done by an ideal gas during an isothermal expansion at temperature T from volume V to 3V is given by W = nRT ln(3), where n is the number of moles of the gas, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the temperature.
An adiabatic process occurs without any heat transfer between the system and its surroundings. The work done in an adiabatic process to triple the volume depends on the specific heats and the initial conditions, but it will generally be less than the isothermal case because the gas also does the work of expanding against its own internal pressure, resulting in a temperature drop.
In an isobaric process, the pressure is held constant, and the work done to triple the volume is W = PΔV, where ΔV is the change in volume. This typically results in more work being done compared to an isothermal process because pressure does not drop as the volume increases.
Therefore, the least work required to triple the volume of an ideal gas is in an adiabatic process when compared to isothermal and isobaric processes. However, the precise determination of the minimum work done in actual numbers would require more specific information about the gas, such as the number of moles and the initial temperature.