Help with Thermodynamics Problem: Proving Energy & Calculating Heat Input

In summary: Ah, thank you guys very much. I had thought that the moles had changed, but i didn't think about taking the integral; i was instead trying to find dQ.. how stupid of me. Thanks again!In summary, you solve for the total amount of heat added by taking the integral of dQ.
  • #1
Perses
14
0
Hello, I was searching the web to find some information to help me solve a problem and i came across this forum. I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me with a homework problem I'm having.

On a cold day, where the outside temperature is 10degreesC, a room in a house is being heated from 10degrees to 20degrees. The volume of the room is 20m^3 and the atmospheric pressure is 101kPa. Cv = 3.6R
due to leaks in the room to the outside the pressure remains constant. I need to prove that the energy after the room has been heated is the same as the energy in the room before the heating.
What i did to solve this was calculate the energy before and the energy after and showed that they were equal.. can someone recommend a better path to prove this?

The next part of the question asks me to calculate the heat input to reach 20degrees in the room at this constant pressure.
For this; i thought i could use dQ = NCvdt + NRdt; however that answer is off from the answer provided in the back of the book by 5kJ or something to that extent(the answer is supposed to be 323kJ).. can anyone toss me a few hints?

Thanks a lot in advance!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Keep in mind that as the room is heated, gas leaves. This means that N changes. Since we are apparently assuming the gas is ideal, you can say
[tex]N=\frac{PV}{RT}[/tex]
Now the question becomes an integral.
 
  • #3
Perses said:
Hello, I was searching the web to find some information to help me solve a problem and i came across this forum. I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me with a homework problem I'm having.

On a cold day, where the outside temperature is 10degreesC, a room in a house is being heated from 10degrees to 20degrees. The volume of the room is 20m^3 and the atmospheric pressure is 101kPa. Cv = 3.6R
due to leaks in the room to the outside the pressure remains constant. I need to prove that the energy after the room has been heated is the same as the energy in the room before the heating.
PV=nRT

PV is the internal energy of the gas. If P and V remain constant then so does PV and nRT. [itex]n_1RT_1 = n_2RT_2[/itex]. This means that as the room temperature increases, n decreases.

AM
 
  • #4
Ah, thank you guys very much. I had thought that the moles had changed, but i didn't think about taking the integral; i was instead trying to find dQ.. how stupid of me. Thanks again!
 
  • #5
Perses said:
Ah, thank you guys very much. I had thought that the moles had changed, but i didn't think about taking the integral; i was instead trying to find dQ.. how stupid of me. Thanks again!
You do have to find dQ = dU + dW. This consists of the amount of heat needed to raise the air temperature of the air in the room by dT plus the amount of work done in pushing a volume of air dV out.

For an incremental change in T (dT) there is an incremental change in volume dV = nRdT/P. Since n = PV/RT, dV = VdT/T.

So [itex]dQ = dU+dW = nC_vdT + PdV[/itex]

Substituting n = PV/RT:

[tex]dQ = PVC_vdT/RT + PVdT/T = PV(1 + \frac{C_v}{R})dT/T [/itex]

So to find the total amount of heat added one has to integrate dQ:
[tex]\int_{T_1}^{T_2} dQ = (1+\frac{C_v}{R})PV\int_{T_1}^{T_2} dT/T = (1+\frac{C_v}{R})PVln(\frac{T_2}{T_1})[/tex]

AM
 

1. What is the first law of thermodynamics?

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

2. How do you prove the conservation of energy in a thermodynamics problem?

To prove the conservation of energy, you must show that the total energy input is equal to the total energy output. This can be done by calculating the heat input and heat output and ensuring they are equal.

3. Can you explain the difference between heat and temperature?

Heat is a form of energy that is transferred between two objects due to a difference in temperature. Temperature, on the other hand, is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

4. How do you calculate the heat input in a thermodynamics problem?

The heat input can be calculated using the formula Q = mCΔT, where Q is the heat input, m is the mass of the substance, C is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.

5. What are some common units used in thermodynamics problems?

Some common units used in thermodynamics problems include joules (J) for energy, degrees Celsius (°C) for temperature, and kilograms (kg) for mass.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
892
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
530
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
846
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
476
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top