There is no change in internal energy of an ideal gas when it undergoes
There is no change in internal energy of an ideal gas when it undergoes
isothermal expansion
adiabatic expansion
free expansion
isobaric expansion
Solution
In free expansion, the ideal gas is allowed to expand into a vacuum. This happens quickly, so there is no heat transferred. No work is done, because the gas does not displace anything. According to first law of thermodynamics, this means that
\(\Delta E_{\text {internal }}=0\)
Hence, there is no change in internal energy of an ideal gas when it undergoes free expansion.