Gchem: Gases and Gas Laws

[basketballakev]

Which statement below accurately describes the relationship between temperature and energy?

A. Temperature quantifies the energy of a system.
B. Energy quantifies the temperature of a system.
C. Temperature is independent of energy.
D. Temperature is variable, while energy is constant.

The answer is A but isn't B stating the same thing?

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[Vihsadas]

So, try and think about what exactly the test maker is trying to test with this question. If you can intuit that by looking at the answer choices, then you can answer the question. Since your subject line has gas law in it, I'll assume this question was in relation to a system that was exclusively an ideal gas of some sort.

C is patently false, and D is also false (energy is only constant in a fully closed system.)

Now, on to A and B. While they seem the same, there is a subtle difference between them.

Energy is undefined for all intents and purposes. No scientist really knows exactly what energy is. Then can, however, try and quantify energy with different variables: motion, temperature, wave variables, etc.

So B cannot be true because "energy" doesn't quantify anything since we do not really have an adequate definition of what energy is.

Temperature, however, can be used as one of many measures of energy. In a gas system, the temperature is adequate to quantify the energy of that system. No other variables are needed. Tricky question.

 

[basketballakev]

So, try and think about what exactly the test maker is trying to test with this question. If you can intuit that by looking at the answer choices, then you can answer the question. Since your subject line has gas law in it, I'll assume this question was in relation to a system that was exclusively an ideal gas of some sort.

C is patently false, and D is also false (energy is only constant in a fully closed system.)

Now, on to A and B. While they seem the same, there is a subtle difference between them.

Energy is undefined for all intents and purposes. No scientist really knows exactly what energy is. Then can, however, try and quantify energy with different variables: motion, temperature, wave variables, etc.

So B cannot be true because "energy" doesn't quantify anything since we do not really have an adequate definition of what energy is.

Temperature, however, can be used as one of many measures of energy. In a gas system, the temperature is adequate to quantify the energy of that system. No other variables are needed. Tricky question.

Thanks a lot Vihsadas!