Work on a Gas Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

In physics, what is work?

The transfer of energy by a force.

What happens to a gas when work is done on it?

Its internal energy increases, which can cause an increase in its temperature.

Why does the air inside a bicycle pump get hotter when the plunger is pushed in quickly?

The force on the plunger does work on the enclosed gas, transferring energy to it, so its internal energy and temperature increase.

True or false? The temperature of a gas can rise even when it is not heated by a hotter object.

True. Doing work on the gas, e.g. compressing it quickly, increases its internal energy and can raise its temperature.