WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

General Physics 1 – STEM 12, Quarter 2, Week 7

IDEAL GAS LAW AND 1ST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

Name: ___________________________________________ Section: ____________________

Learning Objective/MELCs:

 Enumerate the properties of an ideal gas. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-57)

 Solve problems involving ideal gas equations in contexts such as, but not limited to,
the design of metal containers for compressed gases. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-58)
 Interpret PV diagrams of a thermodynamic process. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-60)
 Compute the work done by a gas using dW=PdV. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-61)
 State the relationship between changes in internal energy, work done, and thermal
energy supplied through the First Law of Thermodynamics. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-62)
 Differentiate the following thermodynamic processes and show them on a PV diagram:
isochoric, isobaric, isothermal, adiabatic, and cyclic. (STEM_GP12GLT-IIh-63)

Specific Objectives:

After the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. transform ideal gas law equation to derive formula in solving pressure, temperature,
volume and number of moles
2. describe PV diagrams and identify the thermodynamic process that it represented
3. solve problems related to ideal gas law equation, internal energy of a system, and the
1st Law of Thermodynamics
4. appreciate the concepts learned by relating it to practical applications.

Time allotment: 3 hours

Key Concepts

 The concept of an ideal gas implies that the gas molecules do not interact except upon
collision, and that the molecular volume is negligible compared with the volume of the
container. In reality, an ideal gas does not exist. However, the concept of an ideal gas is very
useful because real gases at low pressures behave as ideal gases do.

 The Ideal Gas Equation (PV=nRT) is a combination of three gas laws: Boyle’s Law
(PV=constant), Charles’s Law and Gay-Lussac’s Law (V/T=constant), and Avogadro’s Law
(V/n=constant). In the expression PV=nRT, P is pressure, V is the volume, T is the
temperature, R is constant (R=8.314 J/mol•K or 0.08206 L•atm/mol•K) and n is the
number of moles of gas in the sample.

 PV diagrams are diagrams used to conveniently visualize changes in pressure and volume.
Each point on a PV diagram corresponds to a different state of the gas. The pressure is
given on the vertical axis and the volume is given on the horizontal axis.

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph
 Source: Young and Freedman, (2014). University Physics 14th Edition

 If the gas is compressed, dV is negative and the work done on the gas is positive. If the gas
expands, dV is positive and the work done on the gas is negative. If the volume remains
constant, the work done on the gas is zero. The total work done on the gas as its volume
changes from V1 to V2: V1 is the initial volume and V2 is the final volume of the gas, and is
given by the integral of equation,
𝑉2
𝑊 = − ∫ 𝑃𝑑𝑉
𝑉1
Alternatively, in algebraic form,
W = -PΔV = -P (V2-V1)
where ΔV is the change in volume of gas from V1 to V2.

 Matter consists of atoms and molecules, and these are made up of particles having kinetic
and potential energies. Internal energy (U) of a system can be defined as the sum of the
kinetic energies of all of its constituent particles plus the sum of all the potential energies
of interaction among these particles.

 During a change of state of the system, the internal energy may change from initial value
U1 to a final value U2. We denote the change in internal energy as ΔU = U2 – U1.

 The First Law of Thermodynamics is a generalization of the principle of conservation of

energy that includes energy transfer through heat as well as mechanical work. The First
Law of Thermodynamics can be expressed as:
ΔU = Q –W
where ΔU is the change of internal energy of gas, Q is heat and W is the work done.

o When a quantity of heat (Q) is added to the system and the system does no work
(W=0) during the process, the internal energy increases by an amount equal to Q,
that is, ΔU=Q.
o When a system does work (W) by expanding against its surroundings and no heat is
added during the process, energy leaves the system and the internal energy
decreases: W is positive, Q is zero, and ΔU = -W.
o When both heat transfer and work occur, the total change in internal energy is
ΔU = Q – W, which can be rearranged as, Q = ΔU + W.

 Adiabatic process – a thermodynamic process where no heat transfer occurs into or out of
a system; Q=0. We can prevent heat flow either by surrounding the system with thermally
insulating material or by carrying out the process so quickly that there is not enough time
for appreciable heat flow. From the first law, we can express adiabatic process
mathematically as:
ΔU = –W

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph
  Isochoric process – a constant-volume thermodynamic process. When the volume of a
thermodynamic system is constant, it does no work on its surroundings. Then, W=0 and
the internal energy can be expressed as:
ΔU = Q

 Isobaric process – a constant-pressure process. In general, none of the three quantities ΔU,
Q, and W is zero in an isobaric process, but W can be calculated through:
W = p(V2-V1)

 Isothermal process – a constant-temperature process. For a process to be isothermal, any

heat flow into or out of the system must occur slowly enough that thermal equilibrium is
maintained. In general, none of the quantities ΔU, Q, and W is zero in an isothermal process.

 Cyclic process – a process that eventually returns a system to its initial state. For such a
process, the final state is the same as the initial state, and so the total internal energy
change must be zero. Since Q = W = 0, then ΔU = 0.

Exercises / Activities

Activity No. 1 – Solving Ideal Gas Problems

What you need: Calculator

What to do 1: Transforming PV=nRT

Direction: Using the Ideal Gas Laws Equation (PV=nRT), transform the equation to derive a
formula for solving P, T, V, and n. Write the derived equation of each quantity on the table.

Quantity Derived Equation from PV=nRT

Pressure (P)

Temperature (T)

Volume (V)

Number of moles (n)

What to do 2: Solving Ideal Gas Problems

Direction: Solve the problems using the Ideal Gas Laws Equation (PV=nRT). Remember to
convert the temperature in Celsius to Kelvin.

1. Find the volume of 2.40 mol of gas whose temperature is 50.0 oC and whose pressure is
2.00 atm.
2. What is the pressure of a 3.00-mol gas whose temperature is 60.0 oC and whose volume
is 5.00 L?

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph
 3. A 1.50-mol gas has a pressure of 4.00 atm and a volume of 7.50 L. What is the
temperature of the gas?
4. Find the number of moles of a certain ideal gas whose volume, temperature, and
pressure are 3.00 L, 25.0 oC, and 2.00 atm, respectively.
5. An ideal gas occupies a volume of 100 cm 3 at 20 oC and 100 Pa. Find the number of
moles of gas in the container. Note that 1 J = 1 Pa•m3.

Activity No. 2: Analyzing PV Diagrams of Thermodynamic Processes

What you need: PV Diagrams

What to do: Describe each of the given PV diagrams and identify the thermodynamic process
represented by the PV diagram. In the diagrams, A is the initial state, and B and C are the
final states. The first item is already done for your reference.

PV diagram Description Thermodynamic Process

In the diagram,
pressure (P) is
1 constant and the Isobaric Process
volume (V) increases
from A to B.

Activity No. 3: Solving Problems Related to 1st Law of Thermodynamics

What you need: Calculator

What to do: Solve the following problems. Show your solutions and box your final answers.
Write them on a separate sheet of paper.

A. Internal Energy:

1. If 100 J of heat is added to a system that does no external work, by how much is the
internal energy of that system raised?
2. If 100 J of heat is added to a system that does 40 J of external work, by how much is
the internal energy of the system raised?

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph
 B. Thermodynamic Process:

1. An ideal gas expands isothermally, performing 3.40 x 103 J of work in the process.
Calculate (a) the change in internal energy of the gas, and (b) the heat absorbed during
this expansion.
2. A gas is enclosed in a cylinder fitted with a light frictionless piston and maintained at
atmospheric pressure (1.01 x 105 Pa). When 1,400 kcal of heat is added to the gas, the
volume is observed to increase slowly from 12.0 m3 to 18.2 m3. Calculate (a) the work
done by the gas and (b) the change in internal energy of the gas. (1kcal=4186J)

Reflection
Give practical applications of the concepts that you have learned from the learning
activities. Write your 5-sentence answer in a separate sheet of paper.

RUBRICS
3 2 1 0
Practical application is Practical application is Practical application is No discussion.
scientifically explained scientifically explained explained consistent to
consistent to the consistent to the concepts, the concepts, but with
concepts, and has no but with minimal misconceptions.
misconceptions. misconceptions.

References:

GIancolli, Douglas. Physics Principles and Applications 6th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson
Education, Inc., 2005.

Serway, Raymond and John Jewett. Physics for Scientists and Engineers 6th Edition.
Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2004.

Young, H.D., R. A. Freedman and L. Ford. University Physics with Modern Physics 14th
Edition. USA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2016.

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph
Answer Key

Author: Christopher Christian S. Braza

School/Station: Carrascal National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
email address: christopher.braza@deped.gov.ph