SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS

THERMAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS: First Law of Thermodynamics.

1.

200 J of heat is added to a system, which does 150 J of work. Find the
change in internal energy of the system. [+ 50 J]

2.

An isothermal change is one which takes place at constant

temperature. Explain why, in any isothermal change, the change in
internal energy is zero. In such a change, 200 J of heat is added to a
system. How much work is done on or by the system? [200 J, work
done by system]

3.

An ideal gas expands isothermally, doing 250 J of work. What is the

change in internal energy? How much heat is absorbed in the process?
[0 J, 250 J]

4.

50 J of heat energy is supplied to a fixed mass of gas in a cylinder. The

gas expands, doing 20 J of work. Calculate the change in internal
energy of the gas. [+30 J]

5.
a.

State in words the first law of thermodynamics.

b.

An adiabatic change is one in which no heat is supplied or

extracted.
i

Write down an expression for the first law when related to

adiabatic change in the state of an ideal gas.

ii

The work done by the gas is 600 J. Deduce the change in the
internal energy of the gas. [-600 J]

iii

What can you deduce about the temperature of the gas?

[decreases]

6.

7.

8.

An ideal gas is compressed adiabatically. The work done on the gas is

500 J.
a.

State how much thermal energy enters of leaves the gas. [0 J]

b.

State the change in internal energy of the gas. [+ 500 J]

c.

What happens to the temperature of the gas?

When a teaspoon of water (5.00 g or 5.00 10-6 m3) is boiled at 100 C

and 100 kPa pressure, 8355 10-3 m3 of steam is formed. The specific
latent heat of vaporisation of water is 2.26 MJ kg-1.
a.

How much work is done by the expanding water? [835 J]

b.

What heat energy is absorbed by the water while it boils? [11300

J]

c.

What is the increase in the internal energy of the water

molecules? [10465 J]

Some gas, assumed to behave ideally, is contained within a cylinder

which is surrounded by insulation to prevent heat loss. Initially, the
volume of the gas is 2.9 10-4 m3, its pressure is 1.04 105 Pa and its
temperature is 314 K.

a.

Use the equation of state for an ideal gas to find the amount, in
moles, of gas in the cylinder. [0.0116 mol]

b.

The gas is then compressed to a volume of 2.9 10-5 m3 and its

temperature rises to 790 K. Calculate the pressure of the gas after
this compression. [2.62 MPa]

c.

The work done on the gas during compression is 91 J. Use the first
law of thermodynamics to find the increase in internal energy of
the gas during the compression. [91 J]

d.

Explain the meaning of internal energy, as applied to the system

and use your result in part c to explain why a rise in the
temperature of the gas takes place during the compression.

a.

State qualitatively, and explain in molecular terms, what happens

to the internal energy of a fixed mass of an ideal gas when,
separately.

9.

b.

the temperature of the gas is raised. [increases]

ii

the volume is decreased at a constant temperature. [no

change]

The quantity of gas in an engine is 5.2 10-3 mol. It has volume

5.0 10-5 m3 and pressure 6.0 105 Pa. Assume the gas to be
ideal.
i

Calculate the temperature of the gas. [694 K]

ii

The gas is then heated at constant volume, so raising its

temperature to 800 K. This is done by supplying 85 J of
energy to the gas. Calculate:
1

the molar heat capacity of the gas at constant volume,

[20.4 J mol-1 K-1]

the final pressure of the gas. [1.29 MPa]

iii

During the power stroke of the engine, the gas expands,

doing 62 J of work but no thermal energy enters or leaves the
gas.
1

State the first law of thermodynamics

By applying the law to this process, find the change in

internal energy of the gas during the power stroke. [-62
J]

10. The figure below shows some details concerning the behaviour of a
fixed mass of a gas (assumed to be ideal) in a petrol engine. The gas
starts at A with a volume of 5.00 10-4 m3, a temperature of 300 K and
a pressure of 1.00 105 Pa. In the change to B it is compressed to a
volume of 7.00 10-5 m3; the pressure rises to 1.50 106 Pa and the
temperature to 630 K.

a.

Use the equation of state for an ideal gas to find the number of
moles in the fixed mass of gas. [0.0201 mol]

b.

In the change from B to C the temperature of the gas rises from

630 K to 1500 K. The molar heat capacity at constant volume of
the gas is 21 J K-1 mol-1. Calculate the thermal energy supplied in
this gas. [369 J]

c.

How much work is done by the gas in the change B to C? [0]

d.

In the change from C to D the gas expands to its original volume.

The temperature at D is 680 K. Calculate the pressure at D. [2.27
105 Pa]

11. The gas in the cylinder of a diesel engine can be considered to undergo
a cycle of changes of pressure, volume and temperature. One such
cycle, for an ideal gas, is shown on the graph below.

a.

The temperature of the gas at A and B are 300 and 660 K

respectively. Use the ideal gas equation and data from the graph
to find the temperatures at C and D. [2800 K, 2340 K]

b.

During each of the four sections of the cycle, changes are being
made to the internal energy of the gas. Some of the factors
affecting these changes are given in the table below.

Section of
cycle

Heat supplied
to gas/ J

A to B
B to C
C to D
D to A

0
2580
0
-1700

Work done on Increase in

gas/ J
internal energy
of gas/J
300
-740
-400

Complete the table above.

c.

Explain why the total change in the internal energy of the gas
during a complete cycle must be zero.

d.

What is the net work done by the gas during a complete cycle?
[880 J]

e.

Assuming that the efficiency of a heat engine is defined as the

ratio of the net work done by the gas to heat input in process BC,
calculate the efficiency of this engine.[34.1 %]

12. A fixed mass of gas in a heat pump undergoes a cycle of change of

pressure, volume and temperature as illustrated in the graph. The gas
is assumed to be ideal.

The table below shows the increase in internal energy which takes
place during each of the changes A to B, B to C and C to D. It also shows
that in both of the sections A to B and C to D, no heat is supplied to the
gas.

a.

Using the first law of thermodynamics and necessary data from

the graph, complete the table.

b.

Calculate P, the coefficient performance of the heat pump, given

that


heat delivered by gas during change B to C

net work done on gas

[2.25]