Question

Consider the expansion of a gas at a constant temperature in a water-cooled piston-cylinder system. The constant temperature is achieved by controlled input of energy as heat Q to the gas. Treating the gas as idea, derive expressions for the energy output as work, W and energy input as heat, Q, as a function of the expansion ratio. (V2/V1)

Answer 1

Answer:

$Q_{in} = W_{out} = nRT ln (\frac{V_{2}}{V_{1}})$

Explanation:

According to the first thermodynamic law, the energy must be conserved so:

$dQ = dU - dW$

Where Q is the heat transmitted to the system, U is the internal energy and W is the work done by the system.

This equation can be solved by integration between an initial and a final state:

(1) $\int\limits^1_2 {} \, dQ = \int\limits^1_2 {} \, dU - \int\limits^1_2 {} \, dW$

As per work definition:

$dW = F*dr$

For pressure the force F equials the pressure multiplied by the area of the piston, and considering dx as the displacement:

$dW = PA*dx$

Here A*dx equals the differential volume of the piston, and considering that any increment in volume is a work done by the system, the sign is negative, so:

$dW = - P*dV$

So the third integral in equation (1) is:

$\int\limits^1_2 {- P} \, dV$

Considering the gas as ideal, the pressure can be calculated as $P = \frac{n*R*T}{V}$, so:

$\int\limits^1_2 {- P} \, dV = \int\limits^1_2 {- \frac{n*R*T}{V}} \, dV$

In this particular case as the systems is closed and the temperature constant, n, R and T are constants:

$\int\limits^1_2 {- \frac{n*R*T}{V}} \, dV = -nRT \int\limits^1_2 {\frac{1}{V}} \, dV$

Replacion this and solving equation (1) between state 1 and 2:

$\int\limits^1_2 {} \, dQ = \int\limits^1_2 {} \, dU + nRT \int\limits^1_2 {\frac{1}{V}} \, dV$

$Q_{2} - Q_{1} = U_{2} - U_{1} + nRT(ln V_{2} - ln V_{1})$

$Q_{2} - Q_{1} = U_{2} - U_{1} + nRT ln \frac{V_{2}}{V_{1}}$

The internal energy depends only on the temperature of the gas, so there is no internal energy change $U_{2} - U_{1} = 0$, so the heat exchanged to the system equals the work done by the system:

$Q_{in} = W_{out} = nRT ln (\frac{V_{2}}{V_{1}})$