THERMODYNAMICS

LAB REPORT 8: EXPANSION PROCESS OF A PERFECT (IDEAL) GAS

Submitted by: Hamna Anwaar Registration no: 335763

TITLE: Expansion process of a perfect gas.

OBJECTIVE: To check and verify the behavior of an ideal gas under different pressure conditions and to
familiarize students with the relation between pressure and temperature of a perfect gas under sudden
expansion conditions. And to familiarize students with the expansion apparatus, the basic working and
safety precautions as well as the necessary knowledge regarding the subject.

APPARATUS:

The apparatus consists of the following parts:

 Two frame mounted interconnected transparent and rigid vessels, with one vessel equipped for
operation under pressure and the other for vacuum.
 It also consists an electrical air pump that creates pressure and vacuum.
 Pump and the vessels are connected to each other via valves and tappings.

THEORY:

First of all we need understand the concept of Ideal or perfect gas, it is a hypothetical gas which strictly
follows the gas laws and there are no intermolecular forces present between its molecules. Ideal gas
doesn’t exist but real gasses behave like ideal gases in certain conditions(low pressure and high
temperature). As air also shows ideal gas behavior it can be assumed as an ideal gas.

Sudden expansion is an adiabatic process as heat doesn’t have enough time to transfer. Hence, the
heat transfer is zero.

Internal energy is the measure of temperature of a gas. When the gas is suddenly compressed the
molecules come closer to each other and the temperature increases conversely, when the gas is
subjected to sudden expansion the temperature decreases because much of the internal energy is
utilized in breaking the temporary bonds that are formed while compression (Joule Thomson effect).
PROCEDURE:

 The equipment was connected to a single phase power supply than we turn the switch on.
 All the valves are fully opened and the pressure reading is checked to make sure that the vessels
were at atmospheric pressure.
 Close valve V1 V4 V5 V6.
 Open the valse V2 V3 V7 V8.
 The pipe from the compressive port of the pump is connected to a pressurized chamber.
 The compressive pump is switched on and allowed to increase the pressure inside the chamber
until a desired value is reached.
 The pressure reading inside the chamber is monitored until it stabilizes. The initial gradual fall is
attributed to the air, which is slowly cooling down to vessel temperature after compression. We
note the corresponding temperature as well. Hence, P1 and T1 are recorded.
 The valve V1 is fully opened for an instant and closed immediately to cause a sudden
expansion. The pressure once stabilized was recorded and so did the temperature.
 Temperature is allowed to return to that at the beginning of the experiment, during which time
the pressure will increase to new value P2.
 Calculate the value of γ.
 The result is displayed on graph and further discussed.
  5
SAF
OBSERVATION AND CALCULATIONS:

P0 P1 P2 T1 T2 Γ (rev) Γ (irrev)
960 1211 1008 21.6 19.9 1.2659 1.2983
960 1296 1020 22.5 19.9 1.2532 1.2935
960 1403 1034 22.7 19.9 1.2433 1.2931

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSIONS:

The decrease in pressure (expansion) causes the volume of gas to increase. With sudden expansion we
noticed a decrease in temperature as well. The temperature decreases because much of the internal
energy is utilized in breaking the temporary bonds that are formed while compression (Joule Thomson
effect). These bonds are broken on the expense of internal energy which in turn

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

 Keep the valve closed while increasing pressure.

 All the operations shall be performed by an skilled personnel.
 Before carrying out any maintenance operation, apparatus should be disconnected from the
main.