Skip to main content
Ch 19: Work, Heat, and the First Law of Thermodynamics
Chapter 19, Problem 20

n₁ moles of a monatomic gas and n₂ moles of a diatomic gas are mixed together in a container. a. Derive an expression for the molar specific heat at constant volume of the mixture.

Verified Solution

Video duration:
5m
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molar Specific Heat Capacity

Molar specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one mole of a substance by one degree Celsius at constant volume. For gases, this value varies depending on the type of gas; monatomic gases typically have a specific heat of 3/2 R, while diatomic gases have a specific heat of 5/2 R, where R is the universal gas constant.
Recommended video:
Guided course
06:50
Specific Heat & Temperature Changes

Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of an ideal gas through the equation PV = nRT. This law is fundamental in thermodynamics and helps in understanding the behavior of gases under various conditions, which is essential when analyzing mixtures of different gases.
Recommended video:
Guided course
07:21
Ideal Gases and the Ideal Gas Law

Heat Capacity of Mixtures

The heat capacity of a mixture is determined by the contributions of each component's heat capacity weighted by their respective mole fractions. For a mixture of gases, the overall molar specific heat at constant volume can be calculated by summing the products of the mole fractions and the specific heats of the individual gases, allowing for the derivation of an expression for the mixture's heat capacity.
Recommended video:
Guided course
05:14
Overview of Heat Transfer
Related Practice
Textbook Question
FIGURE P19.62 shows a thermodynamic process followed by 120 mg of helium. c. How much heat energy is transferred to or from the gas during each of the three segments?
164
views
Textbook Question

Two cylinders each contain 0.10 mol of a diatomic gas at 300 K and a pressure of 3.0 atm. Cylinder A expands isothermally and cylinder B expands adiabatically until the pressure of each is 1.0 atm.


a. What are the final temperature and volume of each?

119
views
Textbook Question
A 100 cm³ box contains helium at a pressure of 2.0 atm and a temperature of 100℃. It is placed in thermal contact with a 200 cm³ box containing argon at a pressure of 4.0 atm and a temperature of 400℃. c. How much heat energy is transferred, and in which direction?
314
views
Textbook Question
A monatomic gas is adiabatically compressed to ⅛ of its initial volume. Does each of the following quantities change? If so, does it increase or decrease, and by what factor? If not, why not? d. The molar specific heat at constant volume.
125
views
Textbook Question
A monatomic gas is adiabatically compressed to ⅛ of its initial volume. Does each of the following quantities change? If so, does it increase or decrease, and by what factor? If not, why not? c. The thermal energy of the gas.
138
views
Textbook Question
A heat engine using a diatomic gas follows the cycle shown in FIGURE P21.55. Its temperature at point 1 is 20℃. a. Determine Wₛ, Q, and ∆Eₜₕ for each of the three processes in this cycle. Display your results in a table.
321
views