1 PHYS310

Student Name: AAPERFECT

UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY

PHYS310: Thermal, Statistical

and Particle Physics

Thermal Physics Test

27 March 2015, 50 minutes duration

Attempt ALL questions.

It is important that you show your reasoning by explaining answers and referring to
the origin of information used where necessary.

Write your answers in this booklet. Use the back of the pages if more space is required. Spare
pages are available.

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PHYS310 2

INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR MID-COURSE TEST

Data and Notation

T = temperature U = internal energy

V = volume F = Helmholtz free energy = U T S
p = pressure G = Gibbs free energy = U T S + pV
S = entropy H = enthalpy = U + pV

Clausius relations:

dU = T dS pdV dF = pdV SdT

dH = T dS + V dp dG = V dp SdT
 
A B


Exact differentials: If dz = Adx + Bdy then dz is an exact differential if y x = x y
Q
Definition of heat capacity C= T

Ideal Gas Laws (monatomic): pV = nRT = N kB T , U = 23 nRT , Cp = 52 nR, CV = 32 nR,

C
pV = constant (adiabatic process), = CVp
 
Isothermal Compressibility T = V1 V Isobaric Expansivity p = V1 V


p , T p
T

Efficiencies for thermodynamic cycles

   
 work done   heat out 
heat engine e =  heat input  heat pump p =  work input 
 
 heat in 
refrigerator r =  work input 

Tc
 cold reservoir heat 
For a Carnot cycle 
hot reservoir heat
=
Th

Definition of entropy
dQrev
dS = T for a reversible process

The T dS equations

 
p
T dS = CV dT + T dV
T V
 
V
T dS = Cp dT T dp
T p
   
T T
T dS = CV dp + Cp dV
p V V p
 3 PHYS310

1. A 200 g cube of copper (Cu) initially at 300 C is dropped into 1.0 kg of water at 20 C.

(a) Calculate the final equilibrium temperature assuming there is no heat exchange with
the surroundings.
(b) Calculate the entropy change of the universe from this process.

Information given:

cp (water) = 4190 J kg1 K1

cp (Cu) = 390 J kg1 K1

[15 marks]
ANSWER

(a) Write common final temperature of the copper and water as Tf . Then since there is no
heat from the surroundings we can balance up a heat equation using the specific heat
capacities:

0 = mCu cCu (Tf TCu ) + mw cw (Tf Tw )

mCu cCu TCu + mw cw Tw
Tf =
mCu cCu + mw cw
(0.2)(390)(573) + (1.0)(4190)(293)
=
(0.2)(390) + (1.0)(4190)
= 298 K

COMMENT: You cannot do a simple ratio of masses BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT
THE SAME MATERIAL!! This was a good question to catch out those who just
followed the example without thinking.
(b) From the second T dS equation the change in entropy for a constant pressure process
like this is  
Tf
S = mcp ln
Ti
Then the entropy change for the universe from this mixing is given by

Suni = SCu + Sw
   
298 298
= (0.2)(390) ln + (1.0)(4190) ln
573 293
= 20 J K1

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PHYS310 4

2. A mole of a monatomic ideal gas is compressed isothermally from point A to B and then
adiabatically from point B to C. The (p, T ) coordinates of these points are:
(A) pA = 1 105 Pa TA = 400 K
(B) pB = 2 105 Pa TB = 400 K
(C) pC = 3 105 Pa TC = ? K.
The universal gas constant R = 8.31 J mol1 K1

(a) Sketch these processes on a p, V diagram making sure that you indicate the correct
shapes of the curves.
(b) Calculate TC , the final temperature of the gas.
(c) Calculate the change in internal energy of the gas.
(d) Calculate the work of the gas and state if its work done ON the gas or BY the gas.
(e) Calculate the heat transfer of the gas. State whether the heat is input to the gas or is
released by the gas.
(f) What is the change in entropy of the gas in going from A C?

[20 marks]
ANSWER:

(a) Figure is
p
c
p = 3 105 Pa

b
isothermal
adiabatic

(b) Process B C is adiabatic. Therefore pV = cons.

pC VC = pB VB
pC (nRTC /pC ) = pB (nRTB /pB )
(1) (1)
pC TC = pB TB
 (1)/
pB
TC = TB
pC
1 1 5/3
= = 0.4
5/3
 0.4
2
TC = 400
3
TC = 470 K
 5 PHYS310

(c) Process A B is isothermal so UAB = 0.

Utot = UAB + UBC

= 0 + 32 nRTBC
= (1.5)(1)(8.31)(470 400)
= 873 J

(d)
B Z B  
nRT VB
Z
WAB = pdV = dV = nRTA ln , isothermal
A A V VA
 
pA
= nRTA ln , since pV = nRT
pB
= (8.31)(400) ln(1/2)
= 2304 J

WBC = U Q = UBC , since adiabatic

= 873 J,

Therefore
Wtotal = 2304 + 873 = 3177 J
Since the number is positive, then this represents work done ON the gas.
(e) The process A B is isothermal. Therefore from the First Law,

QAB = UAB WAB = 0 WAB = 2304 J.

The process B C is adiabatic. Therefore QBC = 0.
Therefore
Qtotal = 2304 J.
The heat is negative, which means it is heat RELEASED by the gas.
(f) Both the processes are reversible which means we can use the equation
dQ
dS =
T
to calculate the entropy.
B B
dQ 1
Z Z
SAB = = dQ since it is an isothermal process
A T T A

Therefore
QAB 2304
SAB = = = 576 J K1
T 400
SBC = 0, since this process is a reversible adiabatic.
Therefore, the entropy change for the gas is

Stotal = 576 J K1

END OF TEST

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