Ratio of Molar Heat Capacity Formula:
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Definition: The ratio of molar heat capacity (γ) is the ratio of the specific heat of the gas at a constant pressure to its specific heat at a constant volume.
Purpose: It's an important parameter in thermodynamics that helps characterize the behavior of gases under different conditions.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The ratio compares how much heat is required to raise the temperature of a gas at constant pressure versus constant volume.
Details: This ratio is crucial in thermodynamics for calculating adiabatic processes, speed of sound in gases, and understanding the behavior of ideal gases.
Tips: Enter the molar specific heat capacities at constant pressure (Cp) and constant volume (Cv) in J/(K·mol). Both values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What is a typical value for γ?
A: For monatomic ideal gases, γ ≈ 1.67. For diatomic gases at room temperature, γ ≈ 1.4.
Q2: Why is Cp always greater than Cv?
A: At constant pressure, some energy goes into work done by expansion, so more heat is needed compared to constant volume.
Q3: How does γ relate to degrees of freedom?
A: γ = 1 + (2/f) where f is the degrees of freedom of the gas molecules.
Q4: Can γ be less than 1?
A: No, since Cp is always greater than Cv, γ is always greater than 1.
Q5: How is γ used in adiabatic processes?
A: In adiabatic processes, PV^γ = constant, where P is pressure and V is volume.