Work and Molecular Properties of Ideal Gases (3/5/2015)

Prof Mason demonstrating work done by an expanding gas by placing a flask connected to a syringe in hot water.  As the flask heats, the pressure inside it rises, which results in gas being funneled through the tubing, which then pushes the syringe plunger upwards.

A depiction of how gas molecules are behaving inside the syringe. A demonstration was done on a smaller computer showing how molecules behave as temperature and pressure changes in a closed environment. Essentially, as temperature rises the molecules bounce around quicker and pressure increases. Alternatively, as temperature drops the molecules slow down and eventually freeze up as temperatures reach 0 K and 0 pressure.

A quick video showing the use of a fire syringe. A small piece of cotton was placed inside the tube, and then the plunger was screwed back on and pushed down rapidly. This is meant to simulate an adiabatic process

Work done to calculate the final T of the fire syringe experiment. The uncertainty of Tf was found to be +/-64.09K.