PHYSICS 489 - Week 27

PHYS 27.1 PV Work and the First Law
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 54-63
Homework: Ch. 3: Pr 1,2; Ex 1,2
Keywords: Isothermal, Isobaric, Isochoric/Isometric, Specific Heats

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. analyze an isothermal expansion to demonstrate the necessity for including heat as microscopic work.
  2. derive the expression for work done by a force on a piston when a gas is compressed or expanded.
  3. calculate PV work for various processes and apply the first law to determine corresponding specific heats.

PHYS 27.2 Adiabatic Processes
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 63-72
Homework: Ch. 3: Pr 3-5; Ex 3-5
Keywords: Adiabatic, Internal Energy

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. derive the relationships between p and V for an adiabatic process.
  2. calculate the work done in an adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas to verify the result of the first law by using pV=NkT=nRT and the pV relation directly.

EXAM 7

PHYS 27.3 Heat Engines & Refrigerators
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 84-93
Homework: Ch. 4: Pr 1 Ex 1
Keywords: Carnot theorems

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. describe qualitatively how Carnot's theorems are proven.
  2. state the restrictions placed on efficiencies by Carnot's theorems.