An ideal gas expands from an initial volume V to a final volume 2V through three different processes starting from the exact same initial state. The processes are isobaric, isothermal, and adiabatic. Let W₁ , W₂ , and W₃ be the magnitudes of the work done by the gas in the isobaric, isothermal, and adiabatic processes respectively. Which of the following correctly represents the relationship between the work done in

Step-by-step solution

The magnitude of work done by a gas during expansion is equal to the area under the P-V curve for that process. Starting from the same initial state (P, V) and expanding to the same final volume 2V : In an isobaric process, the pressure remains constant, so its P-V curve is a horizontal line. In an isothermal process, the pressure decreases as volume increases. Its curve falls below the isobaric line. In an adiabatic process, the pressure decreases more rapidly than in an isothermal process because its curve is ste