Finding Mole Fractions in a Two-Phase Equilibrium System

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a thermodynamics problem involving a two-phase equilibrium system, specifically focusing on finding the initial and final mole fractions of the vapor phase in a fixed volume container during a heating process. The problem involves concepts such as latent heat of vaporization, the Clapeyron equation, and the ideal gas law.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a thermodynamics problem involving a material with a latent heat of vaporization and seeks to find the mole fractions of vapor in a two-phase equilibrium system.
  • Another participant notes that the volume of the container is fixed and the volume of the liquid is negligible, implying that the vapor phase dominates the system.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of knowing the initial and final states of the system, including temperature, pressure, and volume, to determine the number of moles of vapor present.
  • A later reply suggests that the vapor occupies virtually the entire volume and prompts the original poster to consider how many moles of vapor are present in the final state using the ideal gas law.
  • The original poster expresses realization that the problem may be simpler than initially thought after receiving guidance from other participants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of the fixed volume and the negligible volume of the liquid. However, the discussion does not reach a consensus on the specific calculations or methods to determine the mole fractions, as the original poster is still seeking clarity on the final mole fraction of the gas.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the mathematical steps needed to find the final molar volume or the mole fractions, leaving some assumptions and dependencies on definitions unaddressed.

FranciscoSili
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Homework type problem posted in wrong forum, so no template
Hello everyone, I'm doing revision for a final exam in Thermodynamics and i found this exercise i can't solve:

A particular material has a latent heat of vaporization Δh, constant along the coexistence curve. One mole of this material exists in two.phase (liquid-vapor) equilibrium in a container of fixed volume V0, at an initial temperature T0 and a pressure P0. The system is heated at constant volume increasing its pressure to 2P0. The vapor phase can be treated as an monoatomic ideal gas, and the molar volume of the liquid can be neglected relativa to that of the gas. Find the initial and final mole fractions of the vapor phase. ( x≡Ng/(Ng+Nl) ).

I started using the Clapeyron equation to find the final temperature (Tf) of the gas (and so the complete system i think). I integrated from T0 to Tf in one side and from P0 to Pf in the other. The only unknown variable was Tf. Then using the ideal gas equation ( vg(molar volume of gas)=NRTf ) and dividing that by N = Ng + Nl I could leave the final mole fraction of the gas as a function of Pf, Tf and final vg, which i don't know.

So, how can i find the value of the final molar volume? This problem is in a book called Herbert Callen - "Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics" 2nd Edition. page 233 problem 9·3-7

Thank you and sorry i don't use formulas, i don't know how to write them here.
 
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You're told the volume of the container, that its value is fixed, and that the volume of liquid is negligible. . . .
 
You know the initial temperature, pressure, and volume. So how many moles of vapor do you have? You know the final temperature, pressure, and volume. So how many moles of vapor do you have?
 
John Park said:
You're told the volume of the container, that its value is fixed, and that the volume of liquid is negligible. . . .
Yes i know, but after the process both liquid and gas mole fractions changed. I need to know, that variation, specifically in the gas one.
 
FranciscoSili said:
Yes i know, but after the process both liquid and gas mole fractions changed. I need to know, that variation, specifically in the gas one.
The vapor occupies virtually the entire volume. From the ideal gas law, how many moles of vapor do you have in the final state? You know the temperature, the pressure, and the volume.
 
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Chestermiller said:
The vapor occupies virtually the entire volume. From the ideal gas law, how many moles of vapor do you have in the final state? You know the temperature, the pressure, and the volume.
Oh, yes. Oh my god, it was very simple :) thank you very much! :D
 

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