How do different gases effect what meaningful work can be done by the expansion of that gas?
As an example, imagine a compressed air gun, or potato gun. It's a tank of compressed air which opens and expands, firing a projectile.
Assuming all other variables are constant, like initial pressure, mass of projectile, length; how does the type of gas affect the energy delivered to the projectile?
Would a tank of helium, or propane, launch a projectile at the same velocity as normal air? I would instinctively assume that 100 PSI (or whatever) of a compressed gas has the same potential to do expansion work, regardless of the type of gas, but is that true? Surely intermolecular forces in the gas would have an effect. Would a denser gas expand more slowly, resulting in a slower projectile, or would the more massive gas particles deliver more energy to the projectile over the same distance?
As an example, imagine a compressed air gun, or potato gun. It's a tank of compressed air which opens and expands, firing a projectile.
Assuming all other variables are constant, like initial pressure, mass of projectile, length; how does the type of gas affect the energy delivered to the projectile?
Would a tank of helium, or propane, launch a projectile at the same velocity as normal air? I would instinctively assume that 100 PSI (or whatever) of a compressed gas has the same potential to do expansion work, regardless of the type of gas, but is that true? Surely intermolecular forces in the gas would have an effect. Would a denser gas expand more slowly, resulting in a slower projectile, or would the more massive gas particles deliver more energy to the projectile over the same distance?
