At a particular point on a PV diagram,the magnitude of the slope of a curve that represents an adiabatic process is
A)zero.
B)infinite.
C)the same as that of an isotherm through the same point.
D)less than that of an isotherm through the same point.
E)greater than that of an isotherm through the same point.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The slope of an adiabatic process curve represents the ratio of change in pressure to change in volume, which is given by -γPV, where γ is the ratio of specific heats for the gas. The magnitude of γ is greater than 1, which means that the slope of the adiabatic process curve is steeper than that of an isotherm, where γ = 1. Therefore, the answer is E, which means that the slope of the adiabatic process curve is greater than that of an isotherm through the same point.

At a Particular Point on a PV Diagram,the Magnitude of the Slope