PHYSICS 2130

Lecture 23

INTRODUCTION
Reading: 9.2, 10.4
Todays learning outcomes: after today, we want to be able to
Apply the definition of pressure to fluids (gases)

State the ideal gas law, explain all variables and predict the impact of changing (increasing or
decreasing) any quantity in the gas law on all the other quantities

When another form of

energy is converted into
THERMAL ENERGY, there is
an increase in entropy.

reason why not 100 percent efficiency

NOT
POSSIBLE IN ENGINE

ENTROPY AND THE SECOND LAW

The heat engine shown here is consistent with
conservation of energy the first law of
thermodynamics

1000
1000

Such an engine is not possible because it does

not increase total entropy (Total entropy of system must always inc.

999

Similarly, a shattered glass could spontaneously

reform and still obey conservation of energy
1

The energy is still there, its just been transformed

This will never happen because it would be a

spontaneous increase in order and decrease in
entropy
Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics
fundamentally limit processes that are in
principle allowed by the first law

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1) spontaenous inc./ dec. in order

2) inc. / dec. in entropy
CAN OBEY FIRST LAW BUT NOT
2ND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

An isolated system and the universe as a whole

will change until it reaches a state of
equilibrium: maximum disorder or randomness,
and maximum entropy
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PROVING THAT
The entropy increase due to heat transfer into the cold reservoir must be larger than the
entropy decrease due to heat transfer out of the hot reservoir
=
EFFICIENCY OF CARNOT ENGINE IS THE MAX
POSSIBLE THAT CAN OCCUR

THIS PROCESS IS A NEGATIVE ENTROPY AS ENTROPY IS q/t

and Q is loss from system

INTERNAL ENERGY OF THE HUMAN BODY

The human body is actually an example of why we sometimes need to consider internal
energy and not just thermal energy of a system
If our body temperature is constant, then = 0

TEMP is proportional to thermal energy as thermal energy

is the total ke+ PE from heat and temp. is measure of AVG.
ke of molecules

Generally, our bodies do work on our environment so < 0

Also, our bodies are usually at a higher temperature than our surroundings, so < 0
How are these statements consistent with the first law of thermodynamics?
0= + ?
Our bodies are more than just thermal energy we also have energy stored in fat
Our bodies are not isolated systems we can add to our internal energy by eating food

METABOLIC RATE
Our internal energy is always decreasing due to work and heat

+
<0

We counteract this decreasing internal energy by eating food

The rate at which chemical energy stored in food is added to our internal energy is our metabolic
rate,

We could write our change in internal energy as:

If our metabolic rate is higher than losses to work and heat, that means were eating too much
and our internal energy increases we would gain weight
If our metabolic rate is lower than losses to work and heat, that means were eating too little and
our internal energy decreases we would lose weight
If our metabolic rate is exactly the same as losses to work and heat, that means were eating the
right amount and our internal energy stays the same our weight is unchanged
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UNIT 9
Matter and thermal physics

ATOMIC MODEL OF MAT TER

Matter is made up of atoms
Atomic mass number is the number of protons plus the number of neutrons in an atom
The mass of an atom (in atomic mass units) is approximately equal to the atomic mass number

A mole is a way of specifying
the amount of a substance using Avogadros number
atom can weigh
Always has same # of atoms

more/less than
others

1 = 6.02 1023 =

A M U = AT O M I C
MASS #= # OF
PROTONS and
N E U T R O N S =
MOLAR MASS

The molar mass is the mass of 1 mole of a particular substance

For atoms, the molar mass (in grams per mole) is approximately equal to the atomic mass
number

QUESTION 1
Rank the following quantities of atoms or molecules from the greatest number of moles
to the least number of moles:
1) 20 of ( = 4)
2) 128 of 2 ( = 16)
3) 160 of ( = 40)
4) 200 of ( = 207)
A) 4 > 3 > 2 > 1
B) 1 > 2 > 3 > 4

C) 1 > 2 = 3 > 4
D) 3 > 4 > 2 > 1
E) 2 > 1 > 4 > 3

PRESSURE
Pressure is a measurement of how an applied force is distributed over a surface area

In a container of gas, the atoms and molecules are moving around randomly and
colliding elastically with each other and the walls of the container
In these elastic collisions, the atoms and molecules apply an impulse and a force to the container
The combined effect of the force from each individual container distributed over the walls of the
container gives rise to the pressure of the gas

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QUESTION 2
Two sealed cylindrical containers of gas have frictionless, massless pistons that are free
to move up and down. The masses placed on top of the pistons as shown are at rest.
Mass A is double mass B, piston A is twice the area of piston B, and the volume of
container A is twice the volume of container B. Which statement about the pressure of
the gases is correct?
A) >
B) =
C) <
D) Theres not enough information to tell

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IDEAL GAS LAW

In an ideal gas, we assume the atoms or molecules have completely random motion and
dont interact except through physical collisions with each other and the walls of the
container
The ideal gas law relates these properties of a gas:
Pressure ()
Volume ()
Temperature () must be measured in Kelvin
The number of gas atoms or molecules () or the number of moles of gas ()

No gas is perfectly ideal, but the ideal gas law gives a good approximation in many
situations
It works best for monatomic gases at high temperatures and low pressures

=
=
fixed NUMBER for IDEAL GAS OF N ATOMS WHERE N
(big N) is #of molecules

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QUESTION 3
If the volume of a sealed container of gas is decreased, the gas temperature
A) Increases
B) Stays the same
C) Decreases
D) Theres not enough information to tell

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QUESTION 4
The two identical cylinders have internal pressures equal to atmospheric pressure. One
cylinder contains hydrogen, and the other contains nitrogen. Both gases are at the same
temperature. The number of moles of hydrogen is
A) Greater than the number of moles of nitrogen

B) Equal to the number of moles of nitrogen

C) Less than the number of moles of nitrogen

N2
2H

H2
2N
semulvolumes
ov emaS
Same

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