IB PHYSICS

SL TOPIC 10: Assignment

Thermal Physics

Name: ___________________________________ Total mark: /66

Multiple Choice Answers

1. ___________ 4. ___________ 7. ___________

2. ___________ 5. ___________

3. ___________ 6. ___________

1. The behaviour of a monatomic gas such as helium will approximate to that of an ideal gas when
it is kept at

A. a temperature close to absolute zero.

B. low pressure.

C. very high pressure.

D. very high temperature.

2. The behaviour of real gases is different from that predicted for ideal gases. Which of the
following statements about real gases is not correct?

A. Gas molecules have potential energy.

B. Forces between gas molecules are always negligible.

C. Gas molecules have volume.

D. Real gases can liquefy.

3. For an ideal gas of constant mass the pressure is always proportional to

A. density and volume.

B. density and temperature.

C. volume and temperature.

D. volume only.

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4. The diagram shows the pressure–volume (PV) relationship for a gas.

Which of the following area(s) is/are equal to the work done by the gas as it expands?

A. area I

B. area II

C. area I + area II

D. area I – area II

5. The diagram shows the pressure/volume (p/V) diagram for one cycle PQRS of an engine.

In which sections of the cycle is work done on the engine?

A. SP only

B. PQ only

C. SP and PQ only

D. RS and SP only

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6. Which of the following correctly describes the entropy changes of the water molecules and the
universe when a sample of water freezes?

Water molecules Universe

A. increases increases
B. decreases increases
C. increases decreases
D. decreases decreases

7. Which of the following statements is in agreement with the second law of thermodynamics?

A. It is possible to continuously convert thermal energy fully into work.

B. In natural processes, local entropy must increase.

C. Thermal energy will not flow by itself from cold to hot bodies.

D. The entropy in a closed system tends to decrease.

8. This question is about an ideal gas.

(a) The pressure P of a fixed mass of an ideal gas is directly proportional to the kelvin
temperature T of the gas. That is,

P  T.

State the relation between the

(i) pressure P and the volume V for a change at constant temperature.

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(1)

(ii) volume V and kelvin temperature T for a change at a constant pressure.

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(1)

(b) The ideal gas is held in a cylinder by a moveable piston. The pressure of the gas is P1, its
volume is V1 and its kelvin temperature is T1. The pressure, volume and temperature are
changed to P2, V2 and T2 respectively. The change is brought about as illustrated below.

heated at constant volume to heated at constant pressure to

pressure P2 and temperature T ′ volume V2 and temperature T2

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 State the relation between

(i) P1, P2, T1 and T .

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(1)

(ii) V1, V2, T and T2.

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(1)

(c) Use your answers to (b) to deduce, that for an ideal gas

PV = KT,

where K is a constant.

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(4)
(Total 8 marks)

9. This question is about gases and thermodynamic processes.

(a) State one way in which a real gas differs from an ideal gas.

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(1)

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(b) The diagram shows how the pressure p varies with volume V of an ideal gas that
undergoes a cyclic change of state.

AB and CD are adiabatic changes of state. The pressure at point B is 1.8 × 105 Pa and the
change in volume of the gas between B and C is 4.8 ×10–4 m3.

(i) State what is meant by an adiabatic change of state.

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(1)

(ii) The change in volume of the gas between B and C takes 0.020 s. Determine the
power developed during this change of state.

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(2)

(iii) State during which part of the cycle thermal energy is transferred from the gas to
the surroundings.

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(1)

(c) The energy transferred is degraded. Explain what is meant by degraded energy.

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(2)

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 (d) Discuss how your answer to (c) relates to the second law of thermodynamics.

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(3)
(Total 10 marks)

10. This question is about ideal gases.

(a) The atoms or molecules of an ideal gas are assumed to be identical hard elastic spheres
that have negligible volume compared with the volume of the containing vessel.

(i) State two further assumptions of the kinetic theory of an ideal gas.

1. .......................................................................................................................

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2. .......................................................................................................................

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(2)

(ii) Suggest why only the average kinetic energy of the molecules of an ideal gas is
related to the internal energy of the gas.

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(3)

(b) An ideal gas is contained in a cylinder by means of a frictionless piston.

At temperature 290 K and pressure 4.8 × 105 Pa, the gas has volume 9.2 ×10–4 m3.

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 (i) Calculate the number of moles of the gas.

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(2)

(ii) The gas is compressed isothermally to a volume of 2.3 × 10–4 m3. Determine the
pressure p of the gas.

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(2)

(iii) The gas is now heated at constant volume to a temperature of 420 K. Show that the
pressure of the gas is now 2.8 × 106 Pa.

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(1)

(c) The gas in (b)(iii) is now expanded adiabatically so that its temperature and pressure
return to 290 K and 4.8 × 105 Pa respectively. This state is shown below as point A.

(i) Using the axes above sketch a pressure-volume (p-V) diagram for the changes in
(b)(ii), (b)(iii) and (c).
(3)

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 (ii) On your diagram in (c)(i), identify with the letter H any change or changes where
the gas does external work on its surroundings.
(1)

(iii) Describe how a p-V diagram may be used to estimate a value for the useful work
done in one cycle of operation of an engine.

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(2)
(Total 16 marks)

11. This question is about nuclear fission.

(a) A possible fission reaction is

235
92 U  01 n  92
36 Kr  56 Ba  x 0 n .
141 1

(i) State the value of x.

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(1)

(ii) Show that the energy released when one uranium nucleus undergoes fission in the
reaction in (a) is about 2.8 × 10–11 J.

Mass of neutron = 1.00867 u

Mass of U-235 nucleus = 234.99333 u
Mass of Kr-92 nucleus = 91.90645 u
Mass of Ba-141 nucleus = 140.88354 u

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 (iii) State how the energy of the neutrons produced in the reaction in (a) is likely to
compare with the energy of the neutron that initiated the reaction.

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(1)

(b) Outline the role of the moderator.

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(2)

(c) (i) A nuclear power plant that uses U-235 as fuel has a useful power output of 16 MW
and an efficiency of 40 %. Assuming that each fission of U-235 gives rise to
2.8 × 10–11 J of energy, determine the mass of U-235 fuel used per day.

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(4)

(ii) Describe how some reactors are used to produce plutonium-239.

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(2)

(iii) State the importance of plutonium-239.

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(1)

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(d) Some nuclear reactors have a heat exchanger that uses a gas that is kept at constant
volume. The first law of thermodynamics can be represented as Q = ∆U + W.

(i) State the meanings of Q and W.

Q: ......................................................................................................................

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W: ......................................................................................................................

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(2)

(ii) Describe how the first law of thermodynamics applies in the operation of the heat
exchanger.

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(4)

(iii) Discuss the entropy changes that take place in the gas and in the surroundings.

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(4)
(Total 25 marks)

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