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60.) A three-step cycle is undergone by 4.5 mol of an ideal diatomic gas: (1) th

ID: 2111609 • Letter: 6

Question

60.) A three-step cycle is undergone by 4.5 mol of an ideal diatomic gas: (1) the temperature of the gas is increased from 150 K to 440 K at constant volume; (2) the gas is then isothermally expanded to its original pressure; (3) the gas is then contracted at constant pressure back to its original volume. Throughout the cycle, the molecules rotate but do not oscillate. What is the efficiency of the cycle?

Explanation / Answer

suffixes: 0 = initial, N (1-3) = after phase N given: n = 3.4; T0 = 160; T1 = 400 ==> T1-T0 = 240 Cv, diatomic, no vibration = 5R/2 = 20.7861804962158 J/mol-K Phase 1 (isochoric) Q1 = Cv*n*(T1-T0) = 16961.5232849121 J W1 = 0 P/T = nR/V = constant ==> P1/P0 = T1/T0 = 400/160 = 2.5 Phase 2 (isothermal) given: P2 = P0 T2 = T1 = 400 PV = nRT = constant ==> V2/V1 = P1/P2 = P1/P0 = 2.5 W2 = P1*V1*ln(V2/V1) = nRT*ln(2.5) = 3.4*8.314472*400*ln(2.5) = 10361.1243896218 J Q2 = W2 Phase 3 (isobaric) given: Since it'a a cycle, V3 = V0: P = P0: T3 = T0 W3 = P(V3-V2) = n*R*(T3-T2) = n*R*(T0-T1) = 3.4*8.314472*(-240) = -6784.60931396484 J Q3 = W*Cp/R, where Cp = Cv+R, thus Q = W*(1+Cv/R) = -6784.60931396484*3.5 = -23746.132598877 J Totals Source heat Qin = Q1+Q2 = 27322.6476745339 J Waste heat Qout = -Q3 = 23746.132598877 J W = W1+W2+W3 = Qin-Qout = 3576.51507565696 J eta = W/Qin = 0.1309