Work Done During Reversible and Irreversible Isothermal Expansion of an Ideal Gas©
Arthur Ferguson Department of Chemistry Worcester State College 48806 Chandler Street Wocester, MA 01602-2597 United States mail to: AFerguson@worcester.edu
Abstract
This exercise examines how the work associated with stepwise irreversible isothermal expansions and compressions of an ideal gas changes as the number of steps is increased. It uses the graphing power of Mathcad to lead the user to discover that the work approaches an asymptote as the number of steps becomes very large and that that asymptote is the work for the reversible expansion or compression. It then challenges the user to recognize that the work for the reversible expansion or compression represents a limiting value for the work for the corresponding irreversible processes.
Commentary
Editor's Commentary
Keywords
Audiences: Upper-Division Undergraduate Pedagogies: Computer-Based Learning Domains: Physical Chemistry Topics: Mathematics / Symbolic Mathematics, Thermodynamics, Gases
Documents
File Name Description Software Type Software Version IsothermalExpansionWork8.mcd Mathcad 8 Computational Document Mathcad 8 Isothermal_Expansion.nb Mathematica 5.0 Computational Document Mathematica 5.0 IsothermalExpansionWork2001i.mcd Mathcad Computational Document Mathcad 2001i IsothermalExpansionWork.pdf Mathcad Read-Only Document Isothermal_Expansion.pdf Mathematica Read-Only Document JCE Subscribers only: name and password or institutional IP number access required.
Citations
Ferguson, Arthur. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 606.
Comments to: Arthur Ferguson at AFerguson@worcester.edu
©Copyright 2004 Journal of Chemical Education