Department of Physics

Assignment : 1
Tezpur University February 1, 2018
Statistical Physics Due date :
When ever you can
(Code: PH-411 & PI/PD-310)

Revisit Thermodynamics

1. An ideal gas in a vertical cylinder supports a freely moving piston of mass m. The common cross-sectional
area is A. Atmospheric pressure is P0 and in equilibrium, the volume of the gas is V0 . The piston is now
given a small displacement and found to oscillate with frequency ω. The frequency is low enough for internal
equilibrium, but high enough for the gas not to be able to exchange heat with surroundings. Find ω in terms
of m,g (acceleration due to gravity), A,P0 and γ (the ration of CP and CV ).

2. Calculate the work done by 1 mole of gas during a quasistatic, isothermal expansion from an initial volume
vi to a final volume vf when the equation of the state is:

(a) P (v − b) = RT where R and b are constants.

(b) P v = RT 1 − Bv where R and B are constants.

3. One cubic meter of an ideal gas is at a pressure of 10−5 N/m2 and temperature 300K. The gas is allowed to
expand at constant pressure to twice its volume by supplying heat. If the change in the internal energy of
the gas is 104 J, determine the heat supplied.

4. Figure 1(a) shows the cyclic process for one kmol of an ideal gas on a P − V diagram.

(a) Name the processes AB, BC and CA.

(b) Calculate work done in AB, BC, and CA.

V
b c P
P=2P
b a 2 3
V2 C

A B 4
V1
Pa a d
T 1
T1 T2 Va V=2Va
V
b

Figure 1: (a) Figure 1: (b) Figure 1: (c)

5. A certain mass of gas can be expanded from state A to state B by performing 6×104 J of work and absorbing
5 × 104 J of heat. Another process between the same states requires 3 × 104 J of heat.

(a) Calculate the difference in the internal energy of the two states.
(b) Work done by the gas in the second process.

6. Find the equations governing an adiabatic transformation of an ideal gas.

7. A particular gas is enclosed in a cylinder with a movable piston. It is observed that if that the walls are
adiabatic, a quasi-static increase in volume results in a decrease in pressure according to the equation

P 3 V 5 = constant

Consider the process in which the gas is heated at constant pressure (P = 105 P a) until its volume increases
from its initial value of 10−3 m3 to its final value of 8 × 10−3 m3 . The gas is then cooled at constant volume
until its pressure decreases to 105 /32 P a. Find the quasi-static work done on the system and the net heat
transfer to the system in this process.

PH-411 and PI-310 P.T.O. . .

Physics Statistical Physics 2/2

8. Consider a system for which the internal energy E is related to the entropy S, the volume V and the number
of particles N by the equation
v0 θ S 3
E= 2
R NV
where v0 , θ and R are positive constants. Obtain expressions for the temperature T , the pressure P and the
chemical potential µ in terms of S, V and N , and verify that T, P and µ are intensive parameters.
Show by a diagram (drawn to arbitrary scale) the dependence of pressure on volume for fixed temperature
for this system. Draw two such “isotherms” corresponding to two values of the temperature and indicate
which isotherm corresponds to the higher temperature.

9. An approximate equation of state for one mole of a real gas is the van der Waals equation

(P + a/V 2 )(V − b) = RT

where a and b are constants. Consider a free expansion of this gas. This is done by taking a thermally
insulated rigid container and dividing it into two parts by a rigid wall that contains a valve. The gas is
initially put in one part and the other part is vacuum. The valve is then opened and the gas expands
into the empty part. This is called free expansion. If the initial volume and temperature are V1 and T1 ,
respectively, and the final volume is V2 , find the final temperature.

10. Consider a collection of monatomic gas molecule of mass m is confined in a vessel with mass density ρ. At
very low density, derive the relation between pressure and density and plot.

11. Three systems A, B and C are gases with coordinates P, V, P 0 , V 0 and P ”V ”. When A & C are in thermal
equilibrium, the equation of state satisfy P V −nbP −P ”V ” = 0 and when B & C are in thermal equilibrium,
then the equation of state P 0 V 0 − P ”V ” + nBPV ”V
0
”
= 0 holds. The sysmbols n, b and B are positive constants.

(a) What are the three functions which are equal to one another at thermal equilibrium and each of which
is equal to Θ, where Θ is the empirical temperature?
(b) What is the relation expressing thermal equilibrium between A & B.

12. Obtain the differential form of the first law of thermodynamics for the following situations

(a) A string of length L is under tension τ

(b) A soap film of surface area A and surface tension γ.
(c) An ideal gas of volume V under pressure P .
(d) A magnetic material of magnetic dipole moment M ~ per unit volume is placed in an external magnetic
~
field H.
(e) A dielectric material of electric dipole moment P~ per unit volume is placed in an external electric field
~
E.

13. One kilogram of water is heated in an open container from 27o C to 87o C. Calculate change in the internal
energy and enthalpy (The specific heat of the water is 4.2J/Kg/K and thermal expansion coefficient α =
2 × 10−4 per K.

14. A Carnot engine absorbs 109 J of heat per hour from a boiler at 307C and rejects heat to a cooling tower
maintained at 17C. How much heat is rejected every hour? What is the power of the engine?

15. A reversible engine operates with an ideal gas (γ = 1.4) in the cycle as shown in the Figure: 1(b). Pa =
105 N/m2 , Va = 0.83 m3 and Ta = 200 K. Calculate the efficiency of the engine.

16. Calculate efficiency of a diesel cycle as shown in the Figure 1: (c). The working substance is ideal gas (γ is
given). Let r = V1 /V2 be compression ratio and rc = V3 /V2 be cutoff ratio.

PH-411 and PI-310 End