AP Phys B

Test Review

Thermodynamics
4/30/2008
Overview
 Thermodynamics

• Heat, Temperature, Energy

• Thermal Expansion
• Ideal Gas Law
• PV Diagrams
• Laws of Thermodynamics
Internal Energy and Heat
 Internal Energy: consists of the kinetic
and potential energy of the molecular
components of a system (i.e. molecular
translation, rotation, vibration and
bonds).
 Heat: The transfer of energy between
systems as a result of a temperature
difference.
Temperature
 Macroscopic: How “how” or “cold”
something is
• Microscopic: related to the motion of the
atoms of a system
 Measured in Celsius (relative) or Kelvin
(absolute) scales.
• Absolute zero.
Thermal Expansion of Solids
 When a “linear” object’s temperature
increases, it’s physical dimensions will typically
increase.
∆ L = αL 0 ∆ T
• Coefficient of linear expansion
 For a truly 3-d object, there is a volume
expansion with increasing temperature
∆V = βV 0∆T
Ideal Gas Law
 PV=nRT (wimpy chemistry version)
 PV=Nk T (buff physics version)
B

• K : Boltsmann constant
B

 ‘nuff said.
Kinetic Theory of Gases
 The number of molecules is large, and the
average separation between gas molecules is
large
 The molecules obey Newton’s Laws of Motion
 The molecules undergo completely elastic
collisions with each other and with the walls
• No other interactions
 All the gas molecules are identical
 Note: this allows us to interpret the ideal gas
law in terms of microscopic objects!
Kinetic Theory of gases
 Pressure is proportional to the number of
molecules per unit volume and their average
translational kinetic energy
 Temperature of a gas is a direct measure of
the average kinetic energy of the molecules of
the gas.
• For a monatomic gas, the internal energy is:
3
U = NkBT
2
Specific Heat
 The specific heat of a substance is the amount
of heat energy it takes to cause in increase or
decrease in temperature.

Q = m c∆T
• c = specific heat, different for every substance
• Calorimetry: measuring specific heat by using heat
transfer.
Latent Heat
 Latent Heat is defined as the amount of energy
it takes to induce a phase change in a
substance.
Q = m L
• L = latent heat, varies with phase and substance.
Latent Heat and Specific Heat
Temperature Conduction
 Thermal conduction
• Contact
• Radiative
• Convection
Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
 Ifobjects A and B are separately in
thermal equilibrium with a third object C,
then A and B are in thermal equilibrium
with one another.
• Two objects in thermal equilibrium with each
other are at the same temperature.
First Law of Thermodynamics
 The change in the internal energy of a system
is equal to the heat added to the system minus
the work done by the system on its
environment

∆U = Q − W
• If work is done on the system, W is negative.
• A piston is a good example of this.
Thermodynamic Processes
 Isothermal: Constant temperature
• PV = constant
 Isobaric: constant pressure
• P = constant
 Isovolumetric: constant volume
• V = constant
 Adiabatic: No heat flows into or out of the
system
• Q=0
Thermodynamic Processes
 Isothermal Process
Isobaric and
Isovolumetric Processes
Adiabatic Processes
Thermodynamic Processes
 Work done is given by the following:

W = P∆V
• Isothermal, ∆U=0, and Q=-W
• Isobaric: W=P∆V, Q= ∆U+ P∆V
• Isovolumetric, W=0 and ∆U=Q
• Adiabatic, Q=0 so ∆U=W
Second Law of Thermodynamics
 In any closed system, the total entropy must be
increasing.
Q
∆S =
T
 Heat can flow spontaneously from a hot object
to a cold object, but not vice versa
Heat Engines
 Mechanical Energy
obtained from
thermal energy
when heat is
allowed to flow from
a hot reservoir to a
cold reservoir.
• First law is critically
important here.
Heat Engines
 Efficiency of a heat engine is defined as
W Q H − Q L Q L
e = = = 1 −
Q H Q H Q H

 For the Carnot cycle (see next slide)

TH − TL TL
e = = 1 −
TH TH
Carnot Cycle
 The most efficient
process theoretically
possible (not
realistic). No device
will have an efficiency
equal to or greater
than a Carnot engine.
Third Law of Thermodynamics
 Itis impossible to achieve absolute zero
in a real physical system.