PHYS20352: Thermal and Statistical Physics

Yang.Xian@manchester.ac.uk, Room 7.14, Tel. 63692

Solutions to Example Sheet 2

1. (a) From 1st law of thermodynamics

d̄Q = dE + P dV , (1)

and heat capacity definitions,

! !
d̄Q d̄Q
CV ≡ , CP ≡ , (2)
∂T V
∂T P

we have ! ! !
∂E ∂E ∂V
CV ≡ , CP ≡ +P . (3)
∂T V
∂T P
∂T P

Now, for an ideal gas, E = E(T ),

! !
∂E ∂E dE
= = . (4)
∂T V
∂T P
dT

Hence, Eqs. (3-4) give !

∂V
CP − CV = P . (5)
∂T P
Also, for an ideal gas,
P V = nRT , (6)
taking partial derivative (∂/∂T )P on both sides,
!
∂V
P = nR .
∂T P

Hence
CP − CV = nR (7)
for ideal gas.
(b) From Eqs. (3-4),
dE = CV dT ; (8)
From Eqs. (1) and (8),
d̄Q = CV dT + P dV . (9)

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 Also, differentiating the equation of state of ideal gas, Eq. (6),

P dV + V dP = nRdT ,

and, after dividing by P V = nRT on both sides,

dV dP dT
+ = . (10)
V P T
From Eqs. (9-10), we have
!
dV dP
d̄Q = CV T + + P dV .
V P

and use Eq. (6),

P V
d̄Q = (CV + nR)dV + CV dP .
nR nR
Finally, use Eq. (7), we have
1
d̄Q = (CP P dV + CV V dP ) (11)
nR
for an ideal gas, quasistatic process.
(c) For an adiabatic process, d̄Q = 0. Hence, from Eq. (11),

CP P dV + CV V dP = 0 ,

or,
dP CP dV dV
=− = −γ (12)
P CV V V
where γ ≡ CP /CV = const. for ideal gas. Hence, integrating both sides of
Eq. (12), we have
ln P = −γ ln V + const.
or
CP
P V γ = const., ,γ≡ (13)
CV
an important result for a quasistatic adiabatic process involving an ideal gas.

2. (a) The work done on a gas in a quasistatic process from an initial state i to a
final state f is Z f
W =− P dV . (14)
i

2
Hence, from Eq. (13), in an adiabatic reversible compression of an ideal gas,
where P V γ = K,
Z Vf K h 1−γ iVf
W = −K V −γ dV = − V
Vi 1−γ Vi

KVi1−γ Vf 1−γ
" #
K  1−γ   
1−γ
= V − Vi = −1 .
γ−1 f γ−1 Vi
Hence, using Eq. (13) again,
Pf Vf − Pi Vi Pi Vi [(Vi /Vf )1−γ − 1]
W = = (15)
γ−1 γ−1
for a reversible adiabatic process on an ideal gas.
(b) Use of the ideal gas law, Eq. (6), in Eq. (15),
nR(Tf − Ti ) nRCV (Tf − Ti )
W = = .
γ−1 CP − CV
Hence, using Eq. (7), CP − CV = nR,
W = CV (Tf − Ti ) (16)
for a reversible adiabatic process on an ideal gas. Clearly, for an adiabatic
process (d̄Q = 0), we have d̄W = dE, by energy conservation
Z f Z f Z f
d̄W = W = dE = CV dT
i i i

where, in the last equation, we have used Eq. (8). Finally, using CV = const.
for an ideal gas,
W = Ef − Ei = CV (Tf − Ti ) (17)
for a reversible adiabatic process on an ideal gas.
(c) Given Vf = Vi /2 and Pi Viγ = Pf Vfγ , we have
!γ
Pf Vi
= = 2γ , or Pf = 2γ Pi .
Pi Vf
Also, from the ideal gas law of Eq. (6), Pi Vi /Ti = Pf Vf /Tf (= nR), we have
Tf Pf Vf Pf
= = = 2γ−1 ,
Ti Pi Vi 2Pi
or
Tf = 2γ−1 Ti (18)
for a reversible adiabatic compression of an ideal gas in which the volume is
halved.