Which of the following is an example of an extensive property?

Study for the EPRI Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of an extensive property?

Explanation:
An extensive property scales with the amount of material in the system. Volume fits that idea because adding more substance generally increases the space it occupies. For example, in the ideal gas relation PV = nRT, if you keep temperature and pressure fixed and increase the amount of substance n, the volume V increases proportionally. That shows volume grows with system size. Temperature and pressure do not depend on how much material you have—they stay the same when you add more substance at the same state—so they are intensive properties. Specific volume, being volume per unit mass, is also an intensive property because it stays constant as you change the amount of material. Therefore, volume is the extensive property here.

An extensive property scales with the amount of material in the system. Volume fits that idea because adding more substance generally increases the space it occupies. For example, in the ideal gas relation PV = nRT, if you keep temperature and pressure fixed and increase the amount of substance n, the volume V increases proportionally. That shows volume grows with system size.

Temperature and pressure do not depend on how much material you have—they stay the same when you add more substance at the same state—so they are intensive properties. Specific volume, being volume per unit mass, is also an intensive property because it stays constant as you change the amount of material.

Therefore, volume is the extensive property here.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy