Question

For irreversible expansion of an ideal gas under isothermal conditions, which of the following is correct?

• A. \( \Delta U > 0, \, q > 0 \)
• B. \( \Delta U = 0, \, q = -w \)
• C. \( \Delta U = 0, \, q = w \)
• D. \( \Delta U < 0, \, q < 0 \)

Hint:

In isothermal processes for ideal gases, the internal energy (\( \Delta U \)) remains constant (\( \Delta U = 0 \)). The heat absorbed by the system (\( q \)) is always equal to the negative of the work done by the system (\( w \)).