Which of the following does the internal energy of an ideal gas depend upon?

• A. Pressure
• B. Temperature
• C. Volume
• D. Type of container

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the definition of internal energy (U) for an ideal gas: it is the total kinetic energy of the gas particles, which depends only on their temperature.
2. Understand that for an ideal gas, the internal energy does not depend on pressure or volume because ideal gas particles do not interact and have no potential energy.
3. Recognize that the type of container does not affect the internal energy since it does not change the kinetic energy of the gas particles.
4. Use the fact that the internal energy of an ideal gas is a function of temperature only, often expressed as \(U = \frac{f}{2} nRT\), where \(f\) is the degrees of freedom, \(n\) is moles, \(R\) is the gas constant, and \(T\) is temperature.
5. Conclude that among the options given, only temperature affects the internal energy of an ideal gas.