Thermodynamics [ENGR 251]

[Lyes KADEM 2007]

CHAPTER IV

First Law of Thermodynamics

IV.1. First Law of thermodynamics for a closed system

The first law of thermodynamics is usually written as:

E = Q W
The variation in energy = Heat - Work
Where Q is heat; W is work and the term E includes numerous types of energy:
Internal energy

U=U(T,P)

Kinetic energy

KE =

Potential energy

1
mV 2
2
PE = mgz

It is the form of stored energy which can

be directly influenced by a heat transfer.
It is the energy stored microscopically in
two forms: as the kinetic energies due to
random molecular translations,
vibrations and rotations, and as
potential energy arising from forces
between molecules.
Due to the velocity of the system
Due to the elevation of the system in a
gravitational field.

and:

E = U + KE + PE + ...
You can add other terms (atomic, electromagnetic, chemical, ) to the expression of energy.
However, we will usually limit ourselves to the three terms above.
Note
The relative magnitude of the three components of energy (U; KE; PE) is often quite different. The
statement of a problem should give a quick clue to which types of terms will predominate. Modest
velocities will result in negligible changes in kinetic energy. Similarly, small changes in elevation
will result in negligible changes in potential energy.

It is important to notice that this is the most frequent version of the first law of thermodynamics
(with minus sign). This is because when people dealt with heat engines, they cared about heat in
and work out. You may also find a version with a (+) sign [E=Q+W], this means that the
convention of work in and out is not the same.
The first law can be also written under the instantaneous time rate form as:

dE & &
= Q W
dt
It is also interesting to notice that the first law can not be derived; no algebra can be used to show
how it is obtained. This is because it is a blind observation about how the world seems to work.
First Law of Thermodynamics

56

Thermodynamics [ENGR 251]

[Lyes KADEM 2007]

Example 1 [Sonntag p. 108]

A tank containing a fluid is stirred with a paddle wheel. The work input to the paddle wheel is 5090
kJ. The heat transfer from the tank is 1500 kJ. Consider the tank and the fluid inside a control
surface and determine the change in internal energy of the control mass.

Example 2
A tank with a volume of 5 m3 contains 0.05 m3 of liquid water and 4.95 m3 of saturated vapour at
0.1 MPa. Heat is supplied to the tank until all the volume is occupied by saturated vapour.
Determine the heat supplied to the tank.

Example 3
Four kilograms of a certain gas is contained within a piston-cylinder assembly. The gas undergoes
a polytropic process with n=1.5.
The initial pressure is 3 bar, the initial volume is 0.1 m3, and the final volume is 0.2 m3. The
change in internal energy during the process is in absolute value 4.6 kJ/kg. Determine the net
heat transfer for the process in kJ.

First Law of Thermodynamics

57