Question

A gas is compressed by an adiabatic process that decreases its volume by a factor of 2.In this process, the pressurea) increases by a factor of more than 2.b) increases by a factor of 2.c) does not change.d) increases by a factor of less than 2.

Answer 1

Answer:

a) Increase by a factor of more than 2

Explanation:

The compression process is an adiabatic one. The opposite of this kind of process is the isothermal process, where the heat flow makes the temperature to be constant.

Let's consider this kind of process by means of an equation of state; for example, the ideal gas law:

$P=\frac{RT}{v}$

Be $v_{0}$ the initial volume. And $v_{f}=2v_{0}$ the final volume.

If we consider the ideal gas law, it is evident that if the temperature remains constant (isothermal process), the pressure increases by a factor of 2; but in an adiabatic process the temperature of a gas tends to increase its temperature, so the pressure will be a higher than the resultant for the isothermal process.