In the case of an ideal gas, internal energy is a function of its ____________ alone?
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Answer: B. Temperature
Explanation
Joule's experiment proves that the internal energy of an ideal gas is a function of its temperature alone. Molecular kinetic energy constitutes the entire internal energy of an ideal gas system. Since intermolecular forces are absent, volume and pressure changes do not alter internal energy. Internal energy represents the total microscopic energy contained within a thermodynamic system. Ideal gas models assume point-mass molecules with zero potential energy interactions between them. Specific heat capacities relate temperature changes directly to internal energy variations in ideal gases.
Designing pneumatic power systems requires knowing that ideal gas energy depends strictly on temperature. Engineers simplify closed system energy balances by substituting temperature-based internal energy terms. Thermodynamic property tables for air and common gases list internal energy against temperature. Molecular size is assumed to be zero for ideal gases, making it irrelevant to internal energy. Volume does not affect ideal gas internal energy because intermolecular potential energy is absent. Pressure changes alone cannot alter internal energy if the temperature remains completely constant.
- Subject
- Engineering
- Category
- Chemical Engineering
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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