Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Adiabatic Process
An adiabatic process is one in which no heat is exchanged with the surroundings. In the context of gases, this means that any change in internal energy is solely due to work done on or by the gas. For an ideal diatomic gas, the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature during an adiabatic expansion can be described using specific equations derived from the first law of thermodynamics.
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Ideal Gas Law
The Ideal Gas Law is a fundamental equation in thermodynamics that relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas. It is expressed as PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is temperature. This law is essential for calculating the final state of the gas after expansion, especially when combined with the principles of adiabatic processes.
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Diatomic Gas Properties
Diatomic gases, such as nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), have specific heat capacities that differ from monatomic gases. For diatomic gases, the degrees of freedom include translational and rotational motion, but not vibrational motion in this case. This affects how they respond to changes in temperature and pressure, particularly during adiabatic processes, where the specific heat ratio (γ) plays a crucial role in determining the final state of the gas.
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