The simulation shows a cylinder filled with a monatomic ideal gas at a particular pressure, volume, and temperature. You can change the system by adding or removing heat using three different thermodynamic processes, isobaric (constant pressure), isochoric (constant volume), or isothermal (constant temperature).

Suggested student activities:

1. | Calculate the number of moles of gas in the cylinder.

2. | Starting with the same initial conditions, try adding the same amount of heat to the system using the three different processes. Determine which process results in the largest temperature change, and which maximizes the work done by the system.

3. | Try adding a certain amount of heat at constant pressure, and removing it at constant volume. If the processes are done in the reverse order starting with the same initial conditions, are the results the same?

4. | Create a closed cycle by first adding heat at constant temperature, removing heat at constant volume until you return to the initial volume, and adding heat at constant pressure until you arrive at the initial state. Does the system do net work in the process?