Question

An ideal gas is contained in a cylinder with a movable piston. The gas undergoes an isothermal expansion from a volume of 2 liters to 8 liters at a temperature of 300 K. If the initial pressure of the gas is \( 2 \times 10^5 \, \text{Pa} \), calculate the work done by the gas during this expansion. (Use \( R = 8.31 \, \text{J/mol·K} \))

• A. \( 7200 \, \text{J} \)
• B. \( 3600 \, \text{J} \)
• C. \( 1800 \, \text{J} \)
• D. \( 14400 \, \text{J} \)

Hint:

For isothermal processes, the work done by the gas can be calculated using the equation \( W = nRT \ln \left( \frac{V_f}{V_i} \right) \). Always remember to convert units where necessary (e.g., liters to cubic meters).