How much work is done on a gas that is compressed from a volume of 1 x 10-3 m3 to a volume of 0.3 x 10-3 m3 at a constant pressure of 2 atmospheres (assuming the temperature stays the same)?

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Answer 1 · 2018-03-29T17:27:30

#"141.8 J"#

Work done for compressing a gas at constant temperature and pressure by a volume #Δ"V"# is given by

#"W = -P"Δ"V"#

#"W = -2 atm" × (0.3 × 10^-3\ "m"^3 - 1.0 × 10^-3\ "m"^3)#

#"W" = 1.4 × 10^-3\ "atm m"^3#

We know that

#color(red)("1 atm m"^3 = 101.325 × 10^3\ "J")#

So,

#"W" = 1.4 × 10^-3 cancel("atm m"^3) × (101.325 × 10^3\ "J")/(1 cancel("atm m"^3))#

#"W = 141.8 Joule"#