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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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1
First, convert the temperatures from Celsius to Kelvin by adding 273.15 to each temperature. This is necessary because the calculations in thermodynamics require absolute temperature in Kelvin.
Use the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, to find the number of moles (n) of each gas. Here, P is the pressure, V is the volume, R is the ideal gas constant (0.0821 L·atm/mol·K), and T is the temperature in Kelvin.
Calculate the initial internal energy of each gas using the formula U = (f/2) nRT, where f is the degrees of freedom of the gas molecules. For helium (a monatomic gas), f = 3, and for argon (also a monatomic gas), f = 3.
Assuming the boxes are thermally insulated from the environment but not from each other, allow the gases to reach thermal equilibrium. The final temperature of both gases can be found by setting the heat lost by one gas equal to the heat gained by the other, and solving for the final temperature.
Calculate the final internal energy of each gas using the same formula U = (f/2) nRT, substituting the final equilibrium temperature for T in the equation.

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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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