Question
After you use a hand pump to inflate a bicycle tire, why is the pump hot? Why does the tire also feel warm?
Step 1
According to the ideal gas law, we have $PV = nRT$, where $P$ is the pressure, $V$ is the volume, $n$ is the number of moles, $R$ is the universal gas constant, and $T$ is the temperature. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Ajay Singhal and 67 other Physics 101 Mechanics educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
Why does a bicycle pump feel warm as you inflate your tire?
When you use a hand pump to inflate the tires of your bicycle, the pump gets warm after a while. Why? What happens to the temperature of the air in the pump as you compress it? Why does this happen? When you raise the pump handle to draw outside air into the pump, what happens to the temperature of the air taken in? Again, why does this happen?
When you pump a tire with a bicycle pump, the cylinder of the pump becomes hot. Give two reasons why this is so.
Transcript
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD