Exam-style question
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What does the area under a p-V diagram represent in a gas process?.
- A.The work done by the gas
- B.The heat supplied to the gas
- C.The change in internal energy
- D.The pressure of the gas
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The work done by the gas
Explanation
Why this works
The area under a p-V diagram represents the work done by or on the gas during a thermodynamic process. This is because work is defined as the integral of pressure with respect to volume, which geometrically corresponds to the area under the curve on a p-V graph.
Therefore, understanding this relationship allows us to calculate the work involved in gas processes effectively.
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