Chapter 19:The Kinetic Theory of Gases

(Fundamental of Physics, 10th edition)

• Lesson -6: Adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas and related

problems.
 Lesson 6
19-9 Adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas: p𝑉 𝛾 = a constant
Suppose that you remove some shots from the
piston, allowing the ideal gas to push the piston
and the remaining shots upward and thus to
increase the volume by a differential amount dV.
Since the volume change is tiny, we may
assume that the pressure p of the gas on the
piston is constant during the change. The work
dW done by the gas during the volume increase
is equal to W = p dV. adiabatic process, Q = 0

1st law of thermodynamics, ΔEint = Q – W

nCV ΔT = 0 – p dV
p dV
nΔT = –
CV
[ΔEint = Q – W = nCV ΔT – pΔV = nCV ΔT– p(V – V) = nCV ΔT– p(0) = nCV ΔT]
Ideal gas equation, pV = nRT
𝑑 𝑑
(pV) = (nRT) 𝑑 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑢
𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝑇
[𝑑𝑥 (uv) = u +v ]
𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑝 𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
p 𝑑𝑇
+V
𝑑𝑇
= nR
𝑑𝑇

𝑝 𝑑𝑉+𝑉 𝑑𝑝
= nR
𝑑𝑇
𝑝 𝑑𝑉+𝑉 𝑑𝑝
= n dT
𝑅

𝑝 𝑑𝑉+𝑉 𝑑𝑝 p dV p dV
=– [ n dT = – ]
𝑅 CV CV
R
𝑝 𝑑𝑉 + 𝑉 𝑑𝑝 = – ( ) p dV [Cp – CV = R]
CV
 Cp – CV C
𝑝 𝑑𝑉 + 𝑉 𝑑𝑝 = – ( ) p dV = – ( p – 1) p dV = – (𝛾 – 1) p dV = – 𝛾 p dV + p dV
CV CV

𝑉 𝑑𝑝 = – 𝛾 p dV

𝑑𝑝 𝑑𝑉
=–𝛾 [divided by pV]
𝑝 𝑉

𝑑𝑝 𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉
∫ = – ∫𝛾 = –𝛾∫
𝑝 𝑉 𝑉

ln p + C1= - 𝛾 ln V + C2
ln p + 𝛾 ln V = C
ln p + ln 𝑉 𝛾 = C
ln (p𝑉 𝛾 ) = C

𝑒 ln ( pVγ)
= 𝑒C
p𝑉 𝛾 = a constant [adiabatic expansion or contraction] pi𝑉𝑖 𝛾 = pf𝑉𝑓 𝛾
19-9 T𝑉 𝛾−1 = constant for an adiabatic process:

For an adiabatic process, p𝑉 𝛾 = constant

To write an equation for an adiabatic process in terms of T and V, we use the ideal
gas equation to eliminate p
Ideal gas equation, pV = nRT
nRT
p=
V

nRT
( ) V γ = constant
V

Vγ constant
T ( 1) = [n and R are constants]
V nR

TV γ−1 = constant
When the gas goes from an initial state i to a final state f: TiViγ−1 = TfVf γ−1
𝑪𝒗 , 𝑪𝒑 and 𝜸:

Types of Gas 𝑓 𝐶𝑝 = 𝐶𝑣 + 𝑅 𝑪𝒑
𝐶𝑣 = 𝑅 𝛾=
2 𝑪𝒗

Monoatomic 3 5 5
𝑅 𝑅 = 1.67
2 2 3

Diatomic 5 7 7
𝑅 𝑅 = 1.4
2 2 5

Polyatomic 3𝑅 4𝑅 4
= 1.33
3
 𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 −𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓
19-9 W𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠: 𝑊 =
𝛾−1

𝑣𝑓
𝑉 𝑉 𝑎 𝑉 −𝛾+1 𝑉𝑓 Adiabatic process of
𝑊= ∫𝑉 𝑓 𝑝𝑑𝑉 == ∫𝑉 𝑓 𝑉 𝛾 𝑑𝑉 = 𝑎න 𝑉 −𝛾 𝑑𝑉 = 𝑎[ ]
𝑖 𝑖 −𝛾+1 𝑉𝑖 an ideal gas: 𝑝𝑉 𝛾 = 𝑎
𝑣𝑖
𝑎
𝑎 𝑉𝑓 𝑎 −𝛾+1 −𝛾+1 𝑎𝑉𝑓
−𝛾+1
− 𝑎𝑉𝑖−𝛾+1 𝑝= 𝛾
W= [𝑉 −𝛾+1 ]𝑉 = (𝑉 - 𝑉𝑖 )= 𝑉
−𝛾+1 𝑖 −𝛾+1 𝑓 −𝛾+1
𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 𝛾 = 𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓 𝛾 = a
−𝛾+1
𝑎𝑉𝑓 − 𝑎𝑉𝑖
−𝛾+1 −𝛾+1
𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓𝛾 𝑉𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 𝑉𝑖
−𝛾+1 𝛾−𝛾+1
𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖
𝛾−𝛾+1
W= = =
−𝛾+1 −𝛾+1 −𝛾+1

𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓 −𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 − (𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 −𝑃𝑓 𝑉 )

W= = 𝑓
−𝛾+1 −(𝛾−1)

𝑃𝑖 𝑉𝑖 − 𝑃𝑓 𝑉𝑓
W=
𝛾−1
55. A certain gas occupies a volume of 4.3 L at a pressure of 1.2 atm and a
temperature of 310 K. It is compressed adiabatically to a volume of 0.76 L.
Determine (a) the final pressure and (b) the final temperature, assuming the gas
to be an ideal gas for which γ = 1.4.
Solution: (b) TV γ−1 = constant
Here, Vi = 4.3 L
TiViγ−1 = TfVf γ−1
pi = 1.2 atm = 1.2x105 Pa
Ti = 310 K TiViγ−1 𝑉𝑖 𝛾−1
Tf = = 𝑇𝑖 ( )
Vfγ−1 𝑉𝑓
Vf = 0.76 L
4.3 L 1.4−1
𝛾 = 1.4 = 310( ) = 310(2.00) = 620 K
0.76 L
(a) p𝑉 𝛾 = constant
pi𝑉𝑖 𝛾 = pf𝑉𝑓 𝛾
pi𝑉𝑖 𝛾 𝑉𝑖 𝛾 𝑉 4.3 L 1.4
pf = 𝛾 =pi( 𝛾) = 𝑝𝑖 ( 𝑖 )𝛾 = 1.2x105 ( ) = 1.2x105 (11.3166) = 1.36x106 Pa
𝑉𝑓 𝑉𝑓 𝑉𝑓 0.76 L
 Home work
54. We know that for an adiabatic process pVγ = a constant. Evaluate “a constant” for an
adiabatic process involving exactly 2.0 mol of an ideal gas passing through the state having
exactly p = 1.0 atm and T = 300 K. Assume a diatomic gas whose molecules rotate but do not
oscillate.
Solution:
Diatomic gas whose molecules rotate
Here, n = 2 mol but do not oscillate, f = 3+2 = 5
T = 300 K CV = (𝑓2)R = (52)R
P = 1.0 atm = 1.0x105 Pa
Cp – CV = R
Cp = CV + R = (52)R + R = (72)R
p𝑉 𝛾 = constant
7
𝑐𝑃 𝑐𝑃 𝑅 7
𝛾= 𝛾= = 2
5 = = 1.4
𝑐𝑣 𝑐𝑣
2
𝑅 5
 p𝑉 𝛾 = constant

a = p𝑉 𝛾

nRT γ [Ideal gas law, pV = nRT]

a= p( )
P
2(8.31)(300) 1.4 𝑛𝑅𝑇
= 5
1.0x10 { } [V = ]
1.0×10 5 𝑃

= 1.0x105{0.04986}1.4
a =1.5x103 Nm2.2
N
Unit of a = p𝑉 𝛾 = ( 2 )(𝑚3 )γ = 𝑁𝑚3𝛾−2 = 𝑁𝑚3 1.4 −2
= 𝑁𝑚2.2
𝑚