Skip to content
Question of 35

Q.When air is quickly pumped into a bicycle tire, it becomes warm. Why does the temperature of air increase?

Manipur CohsemCouncil of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (Higher Secondary 1st Year) 2026Subjective· 1mImportance★★★★★
0% · 0/35 Questions
🔒 Locked · start free trial →

You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.

Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →

Quickly pumping air into a tyre compresses it adiabatically, and the work done on the gas during this compression raises its internal energy, so its temperature increases.

When air is pumped rapidly into a bicycle tyre, the compression happens so fast that there isn't enough time for heat to be exchanged with the surroundings — the process is essentially adiabatic (Q ≈ 0).

From the first law of thermodynamics: ΔU = Q − W (W = work done BY the gas). For a rapid compression, work is done ON the gas by the pump/piston, so W (work done by gas) is negative; with Q ≈ 0:

ΔU = −W = (positive, since work is done on the gas).

…

Unlock everything free for 14 days

  • Full step-by-step solutions
  • Concept-first explanations
  • Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
  • PYQ mapping + timed mock tests

Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.