As an ideal gas is compressed isothermally, the compressing agent does 36 J of work on the gas.

step 1 we have to find the value of heat flows for an isothermal process where the work done is 36 jule

As an ideal gas is compressed isothermally, the compressing...

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Key Concepts

Work and Heat Sign Conventions

In thermodynamic calculations, proper sign conventions are crucial: work done by the system is considered positive, while work done on the system is negative. This distinction is important for correctly applying the first law of thermodynamics, as it affects how the heat flow (whether entering or leaving the system) is determined during processes like the compression of an ideal gas.

Isothermal Process

An isothermal process is one in which the temperature of the system remains constant throughout the compression or expansion. For an ideal gas, this means that its internal energy, which depends solely on temperature, remains constant, implying that any work done on or by the gas must be exactly balanced by a corresponding heat flow to maintain the constant temperature.

First Law of Thermodynamics

The first law of thermodynamics establishes the relationship between the internal energy change of a system, the heat exchanged, and the work done. Expressed as ?U = Q - W, where ?U is the change in internal energy, Q is the net heat added to the system, and W is the work done by the system, this law indicates that in an isothermal process for an ideal gas (where ?U = 0), the heat flow must be equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the work done by the gas.

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