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School of Physics and Astronomy Junior Honours Thermodynamics GJA 2012-2013

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Problems Set 4: Processes, and introduction to the Second Law

1. Adiabatic processes Finn qu 2.3. During a reversible adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas, the pressure and volume at any moment are related by P V = c where c and are constants. Show that the work done by the gas in expanding from a state (P1 , V1 ) to a state (P2 , V2 ) is W = Hint: c = P1 V1 = P2 V2 . P1 V 1 P2 V 2 1

2. Isobaric processes Finn qu 3.8. Find the change in the internal energy of one mole of a monatomic ideal gas in an isobaric expansion at 1 atm from a volume of 5 m3 to a volume of 10 m3 . for a monatomic ideal gas is 5/3. Finns answer: 7.6 105 joules. Hint: Use the First Law to get u2 u1 = cP (T2 T1 ) Po (v2 v1 ), where Po = P1 = P2 , in a fairly obvious notation. Then use the ideal gas equation to restructure the rst term on the right hand side. Remember that cP cV = R for 1 mole of an ideal gas.

3. The van der Waals gas: Boyle temperature 1 Obtain an expansion of the van der Waals equation of state, for 1 mole, as a power series in v to 1 2 order ( v ) , and use it to investigate the Boyle temperature TB , which is the temperature at which 1 the coecient of the v term is zero, for which the equation of state is a good approximation to the equation of state of an ideal gas. Evaluate TB for a van der Waals gas for which a = 0.27 N m4 mole2 and b = 3.1 105 m3 mole1 . (These are the values of a and b for the van der Waals approximation to carbon dioxide.) Answer: TB = a/(Rb) = 1050 K, approx. Hint: Rearrange the van der Waals equation, for 1 mole, 1 in the form P v = power series in v , and examine the coecients.

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4. Statements of the Second Law of Thermodynamics Show that if the Clausius statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics is false, the KelvinPlanck statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics must be false also. Hint: Make a composite heat engine consisting of a Clausius-statement-breaking refrigerator which transfers an amount of heat Q2 per cycle from a cold to a hot body together with an engine which delivers the same amount of heat, Q2 , per cycle to the cold body.

5. A cycle The Otto cycle An ideal gas is taken through the reversible cycle shown in the diagram where ab and cd are adiabatics. The temperature at a is Ta and so on.

Briey describe the working cycle identing the processes during which heat ows in or out of the system. Give expressions for these heat ows in terms of an appropriate heat capacity. Give an expression for the net work output per cycle and identify this quantity on a sketch of the P V diagram.

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