Suppose that a piston contains a gas which begins at a certain pressure and volume. First, the gas in the piston undergoes an isothermal expansion to triple its initial volume. Next, the gas undergoes an isobaric contraction back to its original volume. Finally, the gas undergoes an isochoric increase in pressure until it has returned to its original pressure. Which of the following is a true statement regarding the work done by this gas?

An ideal gas with an initial pressure of and an initial volume of expands isothermally to a volume of . What is the total amount of thermal energy transferred to the gas during this process?