The ratio of the specific heat of an ideal gas at constant volume to its specific heat at constant pressure is:
A) R
B) 1/R
C) dependent on the temperature
D) dependent on the pressure
E) different for monatomic, diatomic, and polyatomic gases

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ratio of the specific heat of an ideal gas at constant volume (Cv) to its specific heat at constant pressure (Cp) is not directly given by R or 1/R, nor is it dependent on the temperature or pressure for an ideal gas. However, it does vary with the type of gas molecule (monatomic, diatomic, polyatomic) because the degrees of freedom of the gas molecules affect their specific heats.

The Ratio of the Specific Heat of an Ideal Gas