Question

What is ΔU

, the change in the gas's internal energy after a complete cycle?
Express your answer in terms of any needed variables from the problem introduction.

Answer 1

In summary, for an ideal gas undergoing a closed cycle, the change in internal energy (ΔU) after a complete cycle is typically zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

The change in the gas's internal energy (ΔU) after a complete cycle depends on the specific process or cycle being considered. Without knowing the details of the process, it is difficult to provide a specific expression for ΔU.

However, for an ideal gas undergoing a closed cycle (such as a Carnot cycle or a Rankine cycle), the change in internal energy after a complete cycle is zero. This is because the internal energy of an ideal gas depends only on its temperature, and for a closed cycle, the gas returns to its initial state, resulting in no net change in temperature and hence no net change in internal energy.