One mole of an ideal gas expands adiabatically from an initial state to final state . Another mole of the same gas expands isothermally from a different initial state to the same final state . The ratio of the specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume of this ideal gas is . What is the ratio ?
Answer: A.
Or read the worked solution below. Jump to the steps ↓
Written solution
Step 1: Analyze the isothermal process.
For an isothermal expansion, the temperature remains constant throughout the process.
Step 2: Apply the adiabatic relation.
For an adiabatic expansion, the relation between temperature and volume is constant.
Step 3: Relate the initial and final states of the adiabatic process.
Apply the relation to the initial state and the final state .
Step 4: Solve for the initial temperature .
Simplify the equation by dividing both sides by .
Step 5: Calculate the ratio of the initial temperatures.
Substitute the expressions for and to find the ratio.
Answer: