What happens when a gas expands in a vacuum?

What happens when a gas expands in a vacuum?

Explanation: For a free expansion into a vacuum, a gas does no work, as there is no resistance on the gas as it expands, i.e. P=0 and therefore the quantity −PΔV=0 . The work done by the system should therefore be negative for a regular expansion, as work is done by the system (the gas) onto the surroundings.

Which represents the expansion of gas in vacuum?

Expansion of a gas in vacuum is called free expansion.

Is the expansion of gas into a vacuum spontaneous?

The process of gas expanding into vacuum is called a spontaneous expansion. Since the internal energy of gas depends only on its temperature and not on its volume, its temperature remains constant during a spontaneous expansion. During a spontaneous expansion, the pressure and volume of the gas changes unpredictably.

Is expansion into a vacuum adiabatic?

For an adiabatic free expansion of an ideal gas, the gas is contained in an insulated container and then allowed to expand in a vacuum. Because there is no external pressure for the gas to expand against, the work done by or on the system is zero.

What is mean by free expansion expansion in vacuum?

In a free expansion, gas is allowed to expand into a vacuum. This happens quickly, so there is no heat transferred. No work is done, because the gas does not displace anything.

Why does an ideal gas expand in vacuum w 0?

In an ideal gas, there are no intermolecular forces of attraction. Hence, no energy is required to overcome these forces,. Moreover, when a gas expands against vacuum,work done is zero( becausePext=0). Hence, internal energy of the system does not change,i.e., there is no absorption or evolution of heat.

What is the internal energy in vacuum?

Internal energy of ideal gas depends on temperature only. When a gas expand in vacuum it’s called free expansion. Since there’s nothing to oppose the gas, work done is 0. Since work done is 0 and no heat loss/gain, dU = 0.

When a gas expands into a vacuum with 0?

Since the vacuum offers no resistance, the work is zero. In a vacuum,there is nothing that the gas can do work on! Also,there is nothing that the gas has to overcome its pressure to expand,so the work it does in expanding is zero.

Is free expansion spontaneous?

Internal energy change and work done are zero, so no heat is absorbed. Thus entropy is zero, hence it isn’t spontaneous.

Does temperature change during free expansion?

is the gas’s internal energy. . In other words, there is no temperature change in the free expansion of an ideal gas.