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Ch 20: The Micro/Macro Connection
Chapter 20, Problem 20

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℃. b. What is the final thermal energy of each gas?

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Key Concepts

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

Thermal Energy

Thermal energy refers to the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance due to their motion. It is directly related to temperature, as higher temperatures indicate greater particle movement. For ideal gases, thermal energy can be calculated using the formula E = (3/2)nRT, where n is the number of moles, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin.
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Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law is a fundamental equation in thermodynamics that describes the behavior of ideal gases. It is expressed as PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is temperature. This law allows us to relate the pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas, which is essential for calculating the thermal energy of the gases in the boxes.
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Heat Transfer

Heat transfer is the process by which thermal energy moves from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference. In this scenario, the two boxes containing helium and argon will exchange heat until they reach thermal equilibrium. Understanding heat transfer is crucial for determining how the final thermal energy of each gas will be affected by their initial conditions and the interaction between the two gases.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
2.0 mol of monatomic gas A initially has 5000 J of thermal energy. It interacts with 3.0 mol of monatomic gas B, which initially has 8000 J of thermal energy. a. Which gas has the higher initial temperature?
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Textbook Question
The vibrational modes of molecular nitrogen are 'frozen out' at room temperature but become active at temperatures above ≈1500 K. The temperature in the combustion chamber of a jet engine can reach 2000 K, so an engineering analysis of combustion requires knowing the thermal properties of materials at these temperatures. What is the expected specific heat ratio γ for nitrogen at 2000 K?
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The thermal energy of 1.0 mol of a substance is increased by 1.0 J. What is the temperature change if the system is (a) a monatomic gas, (b) a diatomic gas, and (c) a solid?
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The mean free path of a molecule in a gas is 300 nm. What will the mean free path be if the gas temperature is doubled at (a) constant volume and (b) constant pressure?
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Integrated circuits are manufactured in vacuum chambers in which the air pressure is 1.0 x 10⁻¹⁰ of Hg. What are (a) the number density and (b) the mean free path of a molecule? Assume T = 20℃.
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Textbook Question
A mad engineer builds a cube, 2.5 m on a side, in which 6.2-cm-diameter rubber balls are constantly sent flying in random directions by vibrating walls. He will award a prize to anyone who can figure out how many balls are in the cube without entering it or taking out any of the balls. You decide to shoot 6.2-cm-diameter plastic balls into the cube, through a small hole, to see how far they get before colliding with a rubber ball. After many shots, you find they travel an average distance of 1.8 m. How many rubber balls do you think are in the cube?
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