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MATTER
Matter is commonly explained as a
substance that occupies space and has
mass. The weight of a substance is the combined
effects of the substance's mass and the force of
gravity pulling down on it. Matter is made up of
atoms. Atoms are often described as the smallest
amount of a substance and may combine to form
molecules. Atoms of one
substance
may combine chemically with those of another to
form a new substance. These new substances
are referred to as compounds. The molecules
formed cannot be broken down any further
without changing the chemical nature of the
compound. Matter exists in three states: solids,
liquids, and gases. The heat content as well as the
DENSITY
The density of a substance describes its mass-to-volume
relationship. The mass contained in a particular volume is
the density of that substance. In the British system of
units, volume is measured in cubic feet. Sometimes it is
advantageous to compare different substances according
to weight ;.per unit volume. Water, for example, has a
density of 62.4 lb/ft. Wood floats on water because the
density (weight per volume) of wood is less than the
density of water. In other words, it weighs less per cubic
foot. Iron, on the other hand, sinks because it is denser
than water.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
Specific gravity is a unitless number because it is
the density of a substance divided by the density
of water. Water is sim ply used as the standard
comparison. The density of water is 62.4 lb/ft So,
the specific gravity of water is 62.4 lb/ft / 62.4
1b/ft = 1.
Notice that the units cancel because of the division. The
density of red brass is 548 lb/ft Its specific gravity is then
548 lb/ft / 62.4 lb/ft = 8.78. Figure 2.4 lists some
typical specific gravities of substances .
Note
that a substance with a specific gravity greater than 1
will sink
in water, and a substance with a specific gravity less than
1 will float. SPECIFIC VOLUME
Specific volume indicates the volume that each pound of
a gas occupies. The measurement requires that there
must be only 1 lb of the gas. The units are ft/lb, which
GAS LAWS
It is necessary to have a working knowledge of
gases and how they respond to pressure and
temperature changes. Many years ago, several
scientists made significant discoveries about
these properties. A simple explanation of some of
the gas laws they developed may help you
understand the reaction of gases and the
pressure/temperature/volume relationships in
various parts of a refrigeration system. Whenever
using pressure or temperature in an equation like
the gas laws, one has to use the absolute scales
of pressure
(psia) and temperature (Rankine or Kelvin ), or
the solutions to these equations will be
meaningless. Absolute scales 'use zero as their
Boyle's Law
Robert Boyle, developed what has come
to be known as Boyle's law. He discovered that when
pressure is applied to a volume of air that is contained,
the volume of air becomes smaller and the pressure
greater. Boyle's law states that the volume of a gas
varies
inversely with the absolute pressure, provided the
temperature remains constant. For example, if a cylin der
Charles' Law.
In the 1800s, a French named Jacques Charles made
discoveries regarding the effect of temperature on
gases.
Charles' law states
that at a constant pressure, the volume of a gas varies
directly as to the absolute temperature, and at a constant
volume, the pressure of a gas varies directly with the
absolute temperature. Stated in a different form:
When a gas is heated and if it is free to expand, it
will do so, and the volume will vary directly as to
the absolute temperature; if a gas is confined in
a container that will not expand and it is heated,
the pressure will vary directly with the absolute
temperature.
This law can also be stated with formulas. Two for
mulas are needed because one part of the law
pertains to pressure and temperature and the
other part to volume and temperature.
Dalton Law
John Dalton, made the discovery that the atmosphere
is made up of several different gases. He found that each
gas created its own pressure and that the total pressure
was the sum of these individual pressures . Dalton 's law
states that the total pressure of a confined mixture of
gases is the sum of the pressures of each of the
gases in the mixture. For example, when nitrogen and
oxygen are placed in a closed container, the pressure
on the container will be the total pressure of the
nitrogen as if it were in the container by itself
added to the oxygen pressure in the container by itself.
ENERGY
Using energy properly (last)to operate
equipment is a major goal of the HVAC/R industry.
Energy in the form of electricity drives the
motors; heat energy from the fossil fuels of
natural gas, oil, and coal heats homes and
industry. What is this energy and how is it used ?
The only new energy we get is from the sun
heating the earth. Most of the energy we use is
converted to usable heat from something already
here ( e.g., fossil fuels).-This conversion from fuel
to heat can be direct or indirect. An example of
direct conversion is a gas furnace, which converts
the gas to usable heat by combustion . The gas is
burned in a
combustion chamber,
and heat from combustion is transferred to