If heat is a measure of the mean kinetic energy of the particles of a substance, then how does compressing it increase its temperature, since compression squishes the particles of a substance closer together, theoretically limiting movement?

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If heat is a measure of the mean kinetic energy of the particles of a substance, then how does compressing it increase its temperature, since compression squishes the particles of a substance closer together, theoretically limiting movement?

In: Physics

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because you cannot compress the substance without doing work on it. With a gas in a container, you compress by squeezing one wall further in. This wall is moving, and hitting gas particles, adding kinetic energy with each collision.

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