PHYSICS · Single correct · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Fluids · Fluids
Problem
A sealed container of ideal gas rests on a scale. The container is then accelerated straight upward with a constant acceleration a, while the temperature of the gas remains unchanged. Which statement best describes the pressure distribution inside the gas during the upward acceleration?
(a) The pressure is greatest at the bottom and decreases with height as if the effective gravitational field were g−a (i.e., the upward acceleration partially cancels gravity).
(b) The pressure is the same everywhere in the container because the gas and the container accelerate together as a single system.
(c) The pressure is greatest at the bottom and decreases with height exactly as if the gas were in an effective gravitational field of magnitude g+a.
(d) The pressure distribution is identical to that when the container is at rest, corresponding to an effective gravitational field of magnitude g.