What happens to the temperature of an ideal gas during a free adiabatic Joule expansion into an evacuated chamber?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Temperature remains strictly unchanged
- Step 1: In a free expansion into vacuum, external work W = 0 because opposing pressure is zero. Step 2. Since the container is insulated, Q = 0. By First Law: delta U = Q - W = 0. Step 3. For an ideal gas, U depends solely on temperature: delta U = 0 implies delta T = 0. Answer: Temperature remains strictly unchanged. Why not the others: Real gases experience Joule-Thomson cooling or heating, but ideal gases exhibit zero temperature change.
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