CHAPTER 4 – THERMODYNAMICS

I. The ideal gas law

1.1. Oxygen gas having a volume of 1000 cm3 at 40.0°C and 1.01x105 Pa expands until its volume is 1500
cm3 and its pressure is 1.06x105 Pa. Find (a) the number of moles of oxygen present and (b) the final
temperature of the sample.
1.2. A quantity of ideal gas at 10.0°C and 100 kPa occupies a volume of 2.50 m 3. (a) How many moles of
the gas are present? (b) If the pressure is now raised to 300 kPa and the temperature is raised to
30.0°C, how much volume does the gas occupy? Assume no leaks.
1.3. A sample of an ideal gas is taken through the cyclic process abca shown in Fig. 1.3. The scale of
the vertical axis is set by pb = 7.5 kPa and pac =2.5 kPa. At point a, T = 200 K. (a) How many moles of
gas are in the sample? What are (b) the temperature of the gas at point b, (c) the temperature of the gas
at point c?

Figure 1.3 Figure 1.4

1.4. Container A in Fig. 1.4 holds an ideal gas at a pressure of 5.0x 105 Pa and a temperature of 300 K. It is
connected by a thin tube (and a closed valve) to container B, with four times the volume of A.
Container B holds the same ideal gas at a pressure of 1.0x105 Pa and a temperature of 400 K. The
valve is opened to allow the pressures to equalize, but the temperature of each container is
maintained. What then is the pressure?
1.5. A 2.00-mol sample of a diatomic ideal gas expands slowly and adiabatically from a pressure of
5.00 atm and a volume of 12.0 L to a final volume of 30.0 L. (a) What is the final pressure of the gas?
(b) What are the initial and final temperatures?
1.6. 10 moles of oxygen are at the initial state with pressure p = 105 Pa and volume V = 0.25 m3. The gas
expands quasistatically to V = 0.60 m3. What is its final equilibrium temperature if the process is: a)
isothermal, b) isobaric, c) adiabatic.
1.7. The volume of an ideal gas is adiabatically reduced from 200 L to 74.3 L. The initial pressure and
temperature are 1.00 atm and 300 K. The final pressure is 4.00 atm. (a) Is the gas monatomic,
diatomic, or polyatomic? (b) What is the final temperature? (c) How many moles are in the gas?

II. Kinetic theory of gas

2.1. The temperature and pressure in the Sun’s atmosphere are 2.00x 106 K and 0.0300 Pa. Calculate the
rms speed of free electrons (mass 9.11x 10-31 kg) there, assuming they are an ideal gas.
2.2. At what temperature do atoms of helium gas have the same rms speed as molecules of hydrogen gas at
20.0°C?
2.3. Determine the average value of the translational kinetic energy of the molecules of an ideal gas at (a)
0.00°C and (b) 100°C. What is the translational kinetic energy per mole of an ideal gas at (c) 0.00°C
and (d) 100°C?
2.4. What is the internal energy of 1.0 mol of an ideal monatomic gas at 273 K?
2.5. An ideal gas with 3.00 mol is initially in state 1 with pressure p1= 20.0 atm and volume V1 =1500 cm3.
First it is taken to state 2 with pressure p2 = 1.50p1 and volume V2 =2.00V1. Then it is taken to
 state 3 with pressure p3 = 2.00p1 and volume V3 =0.500V1. What is the temperature of the gas in
(a) state 1 and (b) state 2? (c) What is the net change in internal energy from state 1 to state 3?
2.6. (a) How many atoms of helium gas fi ll a spherical balloon of diameter 30.0 cm at 20.0°C and 1.00
atm? (b) What is the average kinetic energy of the helium atoms? (c) What is the rms speed of the
helium atoms?
2.7. A spherical balloon of volume 4.00 × 103 cm3 contains helium at a pressure of 1.20 × 105 Pa.
How many moles of helium are in the balloon if the average kinetic energy of each helium atom is
3.60 × 10−22 J?

III. The first law of thermodynamics

3.1. A thermodynamic system undergoes a process in which its internal energy decreases by 500 J. Over
the same time interval, 220 J of work is done on the system. Find the energy transferred from it by
heat.
3.2. An ideal gas initially at 300 K undergoes an isobaric expansion at 2.50 kPa. If the volume increases
from 1.00 m3 to 3.00 m3 and 12.5 kJ is transferred to the gas by heat, what are (a) the change in its
internal energy and (b) its final temperature?
3.3. (a) How much work is done on the steam when 1.00 mol of water at 100°C boils and becomes 1.00
mol of steam at 100°C at 1.00 atm pressure? Assume the steam to behave as an ideal gas. (b)
Determine the change in internal energy of the system of the water and steam as the water vaporizes.
3.4. A 2.00-mol sample of helium gas initially at 300 K and 0.400 atm is compressed isothermally to 1.20
atm. Noting that the helium behaves as an ideal gas, find (a) the final volume of the gas, (b) the work
done on the gas, and (c) the energy transferred by heat.
3.5. In Fig. 3.5, a gas sample expands from V0 to 4V0 while its pressure decreases from p0 to p0 /4. If
V0 = 1.0 m3 and p0 = 40 Pa, how much work is done by the gas if its pressure changes with volume
via (a) path A, (b) path B, and (c) path C?

Figure 3.5 Figure 3.10

3.6. The temperature of 3.00 mol of an ideal diatomic gas is increased by 40.0 C° without the pressure of
the gas changing. The molecules in the gas rotate but do not oscillate. (a) How much energy is
transferred to the gas as heat? (b) What is the change in the internal energy of the gas? (c) How much
work is done by the gas? (d) By how much does the rotational kinetic energy of the gas increase?
3.7. Air that initially occupies 0.140 m3 at a gauge pressure of 103.0 kPa is expanded isothermally to a
pressure of 101.3 kPa and then cooled at constant pressure until it reaches its initial volume. Compute
the work done by the air. (Gauge pressure is the difference between the actual pressure and
atmospheric pressure.)
3.8. The temperature of 2.00 mol of an ideal monatomic gas is raised 15.0 K in an adiabatic process. What
are (a) the work W done by the gas, (b) the energy transferred as heat Q, (c) the change ΔE int in
internal energy of the gas, and (d) the change ΔK in the average kinetic energy per atom?
3.9. During a compression at a constant pressure of 250 Pa, the volume of an ideal gas decreases from 0.80
m3 to 0.20 m3. The initial temperature is 360 K, and the gas loses 210 J as heat. What are (a) the
change in the internal energy of the gas and (b) the final temperature of the gas?
3.10. Figure 3.10 shows a cycle consisting of five paths: AB is isothermal at 300 K, BC is adiabatic
with work = 5.0 J, CD is at a constant pressure of 5 atm, DE is isothermal, and EA is adiabatic with a
change in internal energy of 8.0 J. What is the change in internal energy of the gas along path CD?

IV. The second law of thermodynamics

4.1. Suppose 4.00 mol of an ideal gas undergoes a reversible isothermal expansion from volume V1 to
volume V2= 2.00V1 at temperature T = 400 K. Find (a) the work done by the gas and (b) the entropy
change of the gas. (c) If the expansion is reversible and adiabatic instead of isothermal, what is the
entropy change of the gas?
4.2. A 50.0 g block of copper whose temperature is 400 K is placed in an insulating box with a 100 g
block of lead whose temperature is 200 K. The specific heat of copper = 386 J/kg.K and lead = 128
J/kg.K. (a) What is the equilibrium temperature of the two-block system? (b) What is the change in the
internal energy of the system between the initial state and the equilibrium state? (c) What is the change
in the entropy of the system?
4.3. (a) For 1.0 mol of a monatomic ideal gas taken through the cycle in Fig. 4.3, where V1 =
4.00V0, what is W/p0V0 as the gas goes from state a to state c along path abc? What is ΔEint /p0V0 in
going (b) from b to c and (c) through one full cycle? What is ΔS in going (d) from b to c and (e)
through one full cycle?

Figure 4.3 Figure 4.6

4.4. A Carnot engine whose low-temperature reservoir is at 17°C has an efficiency of 40%. By how much
should the temperature of the high-temperature reservoir be increased to increase the efficiency to
50%?
4.5. A Carnot engine absorbs 52 kJ as heat and exhausts 36 kJ as heat in each cycle. Calculate (a) the
engine’s efficiency and (b) the work done per cycle in kilojoules.
4.6. Figure 4.6 shows a reversible cycle through which 1.00 mol of a monatomic ideal gas is
taken. Assume that p = 2p0, V = 2V0 , p0 = 1.01 x 105 Pa, and V0 = 0.0225 m3. Calculate (a) the
work done during the cycle, (b) the energy added as heat during stroke abc, and (c) the efficiency
of the cycle. (d) What is the efficiency of a Carnot engine operating between the highest and lowest
temperatures that occur in the cycle? (e) Is this greater than or less than the efficiency calculated in (c)?
4.7. How much work must be done by a Carnot refrigerator to transfer 1.0 J as heat (a) from a reservoir at
7.0°C to one at 27°C, (b) from a reservoir at -73°C to one at 27°C, (c) from a reservoir at -173°C to
one at 27°C, and (d) from a reservoir at -223°C to one at 27°C?
4.8. The electric motor of a heat pump transfers energy as heat from the outdoors, which is at -5.0°C, to a
room that is at 17°C. If the heat pump were a Carnot heat pump (a Carnot engine working in reverse),
how much energy would be transferred as heat to the room for each joule of electric energy consumed?
 ANSWERS
1.1. a) 3.88x10-2 mol. b) 493 K.
1.2. a) 106 mol. b) 0.892 m3.
1.3. a) 1.5 mol. b) 1800 K. c) 600 K.
1.4. 2x105 Pa.
1.5. a) 1.39 atm. b) 366 K, 253 K.
1.6. a) 308 K. b) 722 K. c) 532 K.
1.7. a) Diatomic. b) 446 K. c) 8.1 mol.
2.1. 9.53x106 m/s.
2.2. 580 K.
2.3. a) 5.65x10-21 J. b) 7.72x10-21 J. c) 3.4x10-3 J. d) 4.65x103 J.
2.4. 3.4 x103 J.
2.5. a) 122 K. b) 365 K. c) 0.
2.6. a) 3.54x1023 atoms. b) 6.07x10-21 J. c) 1350 km/s.
2.7. 3.32 mol.
3.1. 720 J.
3.2. a) 7500 J. b) 900 K.
3.3. a) -3100 J. b) 37600 J.
3.4. a) 0.041 m3. b) +5480 J. c) -5480 J.
3.5. a) 120 J. b) 75 J. c) 30 J.
3.6. a) 3490 J. b) 2490 J. c) 997 J. d) 1000 J.
3.7. 5600 J.
3.8. a) -374 J. b) 0. c) +374 J. d) 3.11x10-22 J.
3.9. a) -60 J. b) 90 K.
3.10. -3 J.
4.1. a) 9.22x103 J. b) 23.1 J/K. c) 0.
4.2. a) 320 K. b) 0. c) 1720 J/K.
4.3. a) 3. b) 6RT0. c) 0. d) 8.64 J/K.
e) 0.
4.4. 97 K.
4.5. a) 31 %. b) 16kJ.
4.6. a) 2.27 kJ. b) 14.8 kJ. c) 15.4%. d) 75%.
4.7. a) 0.071 J. b) 0.5 J. c) 2 J. d) 5 J.
4.8. 13 J.