Energy Transfers with an Ideal Gas

Learning Objectives

  • Calculate the work done during a process with an ideal gas using either the appropriate derived equation or using the area under the curve on a PV diagram.
  • Calculate the change in energy for any thermodynamic process.
  • Use the First Law of Thermodynamics to solve for the energy transferred as heat during a thermodynamic process.
  • Interpret a PV diagram to determine the sign of the energy transfers as an ideal gas moves from one state to another.