16.2 The first law of thermodynamics · Take an ideal gas through constant-pressure, constant-volume and isothermal changes and a full cycle, and balance ΔU = q + W on a p–V diagram.
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About this lab
Take an ideal gas through constant-pressure, constant-volume and isothermal changes and a full cycle, and balance ΔU = q + W on a p–V diagram.
You will be able to
Use ΔU = q + W, where W is the work done on the system, with the correct sign for each term.
Calculate the work done on a gas at constant pressure, W = −pΔV, and identify work as the area under a p–V graph.
Explain why ΔU = 0 for an isothermal change and for a complete cycle of an ideal gas, and read the net work done as the area enclosed by the cycle.
