Q.(a) Derive the relation between 'Cp' and 'Cv' for an ideal gas.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →For an ideal gas, Cp exceeds Cv by exactly R because constant-pressure heating must also supply energy for expansion work; free expansion does zero work (into a vacuum); an isolated system exchanges neither matter nor energy with its surroundings.
(a) Derivation of Cp - Cv = R:
By definition, for one mole of gas:
- , so at constant volume, (all the heat supplied at constant volume increases internal energy only, since no PV work is done when volume is fixed).
- , so at constant pressure, .
Enthalpy is defined as . For one mole of an ideal gas, , so:
Differentiating with respect to temperature:
Substituting and :
Dividing through by :
This makes physical sense: heating a gas at constant pressure requires supplying extra energy (equal to R per degree per mole) beyond what's needed at constant volume, because the gas must also do expansion (PV) work on its surroundings as it expands.
(b)(i) Free expansion: …
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