A 5-mol ideal gas system undergoes an adiabatic free expansion (a rapid expansion into a vacuum),going from an initial volume of 30 L to a final volume of 50 L.How much work is done on the system during this adiabatic free expansion?

A) −150 J
B) −30 J
C) zero
D) +150 J
E) +30 J

Question

A 5-mol ideal gas system undergoes an adiabatic free expansion (a rapid expansion into a vacuum),going from an initial volume of 30 L to a final volume of 50 L.How much work is done on the system during this adiabatic free expansion?
​
A) −150 J
B) −30 J
C) zero
D) +150 J
E) ​+30 J

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adiabatic process means no heat is exchanged between the system and surroundings. Since there is no piston work (expansion against external pressure) being done and no heat transfer, the work done on the system is zero. Therefore, the answer is C) zero.

A 5-Mol Ideal Gas System Undergoes an Adiabatic Free Expansion