Question

Moments before it is ignited by the sparkplug, the mixture of fuel and air inside an automobile cylinder is compressed to very high density. during the compression process, the mixture's qu

a. temperature stays the same but its pressure rises.
b. temperature rises dramatically and so does its pressure.
c. temperature drops dramatically but its pressure rises.
d. temperature rises dramatically but its pressure drops.

Answer 1

In an automobile cylinder, the temperature and pressure of a fuel-air mixture both rise dramatically during the adiabatic compression process.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the compression process in an automobile cylinder, the temperature of the fuel-air mixture increases as a result of adiabatic compression, where work is done on the gas and there is no heat exchange with the environment. This is because the process is so fast that it is considered adiabatic. According to the ideal gas law, if a gas is compressed and its volume decreases without losing or gaining heat from its surroundings, its temperature and pressure must increase. Therefore, the correct answer is that during the compression process, the mixture's temperature rises dramatically and so does its pressure, which is crucial to understanding how an internal combustion engine works.