Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A party balloon holds of helium, a monatomic gas, at . Find its internal energy. The balloon warms in the sun to . By how much does the internal energy grow? Does the answer depend on how it was warmed? ()
The internal energy of an ideal gas is the kinetic energy of its molecules: , with for a monatomic gas and for a diatomic one. It depends only on the temperature, so is the same for every path between two states.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Internal energy. .
Step 2. The rise. .
Step 3. The path. depends only on , so any way of warming from to gives the same .
Answer: ; it grows by , whatever the path.
Watch out. The heat taken in does depend on the path; only does not.
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