One mole of a gas is expanded under a constant pressure of 20 kPa, from 0.5m cubed to 0.75m cubed. how much work was performed by the gas?
To find the work performed by the gas in this expansion, you can use the formula:
Work = Pressure * Change in Volume
Given:
Pressure (P) = 20 kPa (kilopascals)
Change in Volume (∆V) = (0.75 m³) - (0.5 m³) = 0.25 m³
Now, convert the pressure from kilopascals to pascals:
1 kPa = 1000 Pa (pascals)
So, 20 kPa = 20 * 1000 Pa = 20,000 Pa
Substituting the values into the formula, we can calculate the work performed:
Work = 20,000 Pa * 0.25 m³ = 5,000 Joules (J)
Therefore, the gas performed 5,000 Joules of work.