Question

In an adiabatic compression, the temperature of an ideal gas rises and the average kinetic energy of the molecules also increases. Why is the kinetic energy increasing?

• A. because of collisions with moving part of the wall only.
• B. because of collisions with the entire wall.
• C. because the molecules gets accelerated in their motion inside the volume.
• D. because the redistribution of energy amongst the molecules.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

If an ideal gas is compressed adiabatically, its temperature rises, because heat produced cannot be lost to be the surroundings. Each molecule has more has more $KE$ then before of collisions of molecules with moving parts of the wall ( $i.e.$ piston compressing the gas).