(II) An ideal gas expands at a constant total pressure of 2.5 atm from 410 mL to 690 mL. Heat then flows out of the gas at constant volume, and the pressure and temperature are allowed to drop until the temperature reaches its original value. Calculate (a) the total work done by the gas in the process, and (b) the total heat flow into the gas.
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22. The First Law of Thermodynamics
Cyclic Thermodynamic Processes
Problem 4a
Textbook Question
The graph in Fig. E shows a -diagram of the air in a human lung when a person is inhaling and then exhaling a deep breath. Such graphs, obtained in clinical practice, are normally somewhat curved, but we have modeled one as a set of straight lines of the same general shape. (Important: The pressure shown is the gauge pressure, not the absolute pressure.) How many joules of net work does this person's lung do during one complete breath?


1
Step 1: Understand the problem. The graph represents a pressure-volume (pV) diagram for the air in a human lung during one complete breath cycle (inhaling and exhaling). The goal is to calculate the net work done by the lung during this cycle. Work in a pV diagram is given by the area enclosed by the curve.
Step 2: Convert the units of pressure and volume to SI units. Pressure is given in mmHg, and volume is given in liters. Convert pressure to pascals using the relation: 1 mmHg = 133.322 Pa. Convert volume to cubic meters using the relation: 1 L = 0.001 m³.
Step 3: Break the graph into segments. The graph consists of straight lines forming a closed loop. Identify the coordinates of the vertices of the loop in terms of pressure and volume, and calculate the work done for each segment using the formula for work: \( W = \int p \, dV \). For straight lines, this simplifies to \( W = p \cdot \Delta V \) if pressure is constant, or the area under the line if pressure varies linearly.
Step 4: Calculate the net work done. The net work is the sum of the work done during inhaling and exhaling. Since the graph forms a closed loop, the net work corresponds to the area enclosed by the loop. Use the formula for the area of a trapezoid or divide the loop into simpler geometric shapes (e.g., triangles and rectangles) to calculate the enclosed area.
Step 5: Interpret the result. The net work done by the lung during one complete breath is equal to the area enclosed by the loop in the pV diagram, expressed in joules. Ensure all calculations are consistent with SI units.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
pV Diagram
A pV diagram, or pressure-volume diagram, visually represents the relationship between the pressure (p) and volume (V) of a gas. In this context, it illustrates the changes in pressure and volume during the inhalation and exhalation phases of breathing. The area enclosed by the curve on the diagram corresponds to the work done by the lungs during these processes.
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Work Done by a Gas
The work done by a gas during expansion or compression can be calculated using the area under the curve in a pV diagram. For a closed system, this work is defined as the integral of pressure with respect to volume. In the case of the lungs, the net work done during one complete breath is the difference between the work done during inhalation and exhalation.
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Calculating Work Done on Monoatomic Gas
Gauge Pressure vs. Absolute Pressure
Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure, while absolute pressure includes atmospheric pressure in its measurement. In the context of the lung pV diagram, it is crucial to note that the pressures shown are gauge pressures, which affects the calculations of work done. Understanding this distinction is essential for accurately interpreting the graph and calculating the net work.
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