What are liter atmospheres?

Question

I know what liters are, and I know that Atm is pressure... but what exactly is liter atmospheres? I need to visualize this... is it the pressure on a liter? ... I know that it is supposed to be the same thing as energy in joules.

Can someone help with an example or an analogy or anything to help me see this please? ... I know the definition, but just need to visualize.

Thanks!

Answer 1

liters of gas times pressure above ambient quantifies how much work you can get out of the gas by expanding it to ambient by, say, driving through a turbine or air motor (used in air tools).