Final answer:
As an airplane climbs, the fuel air mixture becomes leaner due to decreased air pressure and oxygen concentration at higher altitudes, resulting in a higher air to fuel ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
As an airplane climbs, the fuel air mixture in its engines becomes leaner. This is because air pressure decreases and the oxygen concentration in it also decreases as the altitude increases, meaning there's less oxygen available for combustion with the fuel. In other words, the ratio of air to fuel increases, resulting in a leaner mixture.
The gas mixture's behavior in aircraft cylinders can be analyzed using principles of thermodynamics. For example, as a gas mixture inside a cylinder expands due to climbing altitude and lower external pressure, the work done on the gas can be calculated. Assuming ideal gas behavior and temperature constancy (isothermal expansion), the work done (W) can be expressed as W = -P∆V, where P is the constant external pressure and ∆V is the change in volume. In the case of an expansion from 500 mL to 1200 mL against a constant pressure of 5.00 atm, this work can be calculated and converted from liter-atmospheres to Joules using the conversion factor (1 L⋅atm = 101.325 J).