Paper 3, Section II, D

Statistical Physics | Part II, 2017

(a) Describe the Carnot cycle using plots in the (p,V)(p, V)-plane and the (T,S)(T, S)-plane. In which steps of the cycle is heat absorbed or emitted by the gas? In which steps is work done on, or by, the gas?

(b) An ideal monatomic gas undergoes a reversible cycle described by a triangle in the (p,V)(p, V)-plane with vertices at the points A,B,CA, B, C with coordinates (p0,V0),(2p0,V0)\left(p_{0}, V_{0}\right),\left(2 p_{0}, V_{0}\right) and (p0,2V0)\left(p_{0}, 2 V_{0}\right) respectively. The cycle is traversed in the order ABCAA B C A.

(i) Write down the equation of state and an expression for the internal energy of the gas.

(ii) Derive an expression relating TdST d S to dpd p and dVd V. Use your expression to calculate the heat supplied to, or emitted by, the gas along ABA B and CAC A.

(iii) Show that heat is supplied to the gas along part of the line BCB C, and is emitted by the gas along the other part of the line.

(iv) Calculate the efficiency η=W/Q\eta=W / Q where WW is the total work done by the cycle and QQ is the total heat supplied.

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