Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can describe internal energy as particle kinetic energy plus configuration potential energy, and explain why an ideal gas has no internal potential energy. (Guide: “Energy inside a gas”)
- I can explain why U of a fixed amount of ideal gas depends only on its temperature. (Guide: “Energy inside a gas”; Practice Q4)
- I can explain the difference between heating, work and internal energy, and why a gas does not “contain heat”. (Guide: “Two ways to change internal energy”; Practice Q2)
- I can state the first law as ΔU = Q + W and say that W is the work done on the gas. (Guide; Practice Q1)
Calculation and skills
- I can derive W = −PΔV for a piston and give the correct sign for expansion and compression. (Guide: “Work done by a piston”; Practice Q5)
- I can find the work done on a gas from the area under a PV graph that is not a horizontal line. (Practice Q3)
- I can calculate W, ΔU and Q for an isobaric or isochoric process using U = (3/2)nRT. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4, Q5)
- I can sketch an isotherm and an adiabatic curve from the same starting point and say which is steeper. (Guide: “Four special processes”; Practice Q6)
- I can find W, ΔU and Q for every step of a cycle and check that ΔU_cycle = 0. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q7)
Reasoning
- I can compare two processes between the same volumes and justify which has the larger |W| using areas. (Practice Q6)
- I can decide the sign of the net work from the direction of a cycle on a PV diagram. (Guide: “Cycles”; Practice Q7)
- I can explain why equal temperatures at two points do not make the path between them isothermal. (Practice Q7c)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 9.5, Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity, or return to the course roadmap.