Work Done by a System Against Pressure Calculation

1) What is the work done by a system with a pressure of 2.5 atm if it undergoes a volume change of 150 mL against the pressure?

A. 375 J

B. 0.2 J

C. 0.0015 J

D. 3750 J

E. None of the above

Answer:

The work done by the system against the pressure can be calculated using the formula: Work (W) = Pressure (P) x Change in Volume (ΔV). In this case, the pressure is given as 2.5 atm and the volume change is 150 mL (0.15 L).

First, we need to convert the volume change to liters since pressure is commonly measured in atmospheres (atm) and 1 L = 1000 mL = 1 atm.L. Therefore, ΔV = 0.15 L.

Now, we can calculate the work done by the system: W = 2.5 atm x 0.15 L = 0.375 atm.L.

Since 1 atm.L is equivalent to 101.5 Joules, we can convert the work to Joules: W = 0.375 atm.L x 101.5 J = 38.0625 J.

Therefore, the work done by the system with a pressure of 2.5 atm and a volume change of 150 mL against the pressure is approximately 38.06 J.

By using the formula W = PΔV and understanding the units involved, we can easily calculate the work done by a system against pressure in different scenarios.