Suppose Q and W denote the amount of heat supplied to an ideal gas and the work performed by it during an isothermal process. Which of the following relations holds true?

Step-by-step solution

According to the first law of thermodynamics, Q = U + W . For an ideal gas, the internal energy depends only on its absolute temperature. In an isothermal process, the temperature of the gas remains constant, which implies T = 0 . Consequently, the change in internal energy U = 0 . Substituting this into the first law equation yields Q = W . Thus, the heat supplied to the ideal gas is equal to the work performed by it.