Free expansion

[Isabelle Fontanilla 1I]

Can you give an example of a system that is doing a free expansion?

[Aidan Ryan 1B]

A Box with one side full of gas where suddenly the divider is moved and gas expands throughout the box. That is free expansion.

[SydBenedict2H]

With this free expansion, would the pressure and volume both be positive for the work equation? I get confused as to if the P is always negative or not.

[GavinAleshire1L]

Free expansion occurs when no work is done to the system. Like Aidan said if a divider is removed and the gas can move freely that is free expansion; however, if the gas had to move against a weighted piston that would not be free expansion because work is being done.