If a gas expands isothermally and its volume doubles, what happens to the pressure?

Study for the Praxis Physics Exam with interactive questions and detailed explanations to enhance your understanding of physics concepts. Prepare for your exam efficiently!

Multiple Choice

If a gas expands isothermally and its volume doubles, what happens to the pressure?

Explanation:
Isothermal expansion means the gas’s temperature remains fixed. For an ideal gas, PV = nRT, and with temperature fixed, P is inversely proportional to V. If the volume doubles, the pressure must drop by a factor of two. Therefore the pressure halves. This happens because P = nRT / V, so doubling V makes P half as large. The other options would imply pressure behavior that conflicts with the constant-temperature relationship.

Isothermal expansion means the gas’s temperature remains fixed. For an ideal gas, PV = nRT, and with temperature fixed, P is inversely proportional to V. If the volume doubles, the pressure must drop by a factor of two. Therefore the pressure halves. This happens because P = nRT / V, so doubling V makes P half as large. The other options would imply pressure behavior that conflicts with the constant-temperature relationship.

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