A sample of ideal gas is subjected to two separate constant-pressure processes, one involving an expansion and the other a compression. In each case the magnitude of the volume change is the same, but the direction of the change is opposite.
Answer the following questions about the work term that appears in the first-law energy balance for the gas.
(a) Describe how the sign of the work term differs between the expansion and the compression. In your answer, indicate which process corresponds to positive work and which corresponds to negative work when using the conventional sign standard for thermodynamics.
(b) Compare the magnitudes of the work terms for the two processes. State whether they are equal, larger, or smaller in magnitude and justify your response without performing a numerical calculation.
(c) For each process, state whether mechanical energy is transferred to the gas or from the gas, and explain how this relates to your answers in parts (a) and (b).