Thermodynamics Particles in Water

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the number of fine metal particles in a water column at two different heights, specifically at height h0 and 1.0 mm above it. The particles have a radius of 20 nm and a density of 20.0 g/cm³, with an initial concentration of 1000 particles per unit volume at h0. The relevant equations include the internal energy equation U = (3/2) nRT and the Boltzmann distribution N = N0 e^(E/kT). The participant concludes that the internal energy remains constant between the two heights, allowing for the simplification of the problem to only consider gravitational potential energy using E = mgh.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of thermodynamics principles, specifically internal energy and potential energy.
  • Familiarity with the Boltzmann distribution and its application in statistical mechanics.
  • Knowledge of basic calculus for evaluating energy equations.
  • Concept of thermal equilibrium and its implications in particle behavior in fluids.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation and applications of the Boltzmann distribution in thermodynamic systems.
  • Learn about gravitational potential energy calculations in fluid mechanics.
  • Explore the implications of thermal equilibrium on particle distribution in fluids.
  • Investigate the relationship between particle size and density in colloidal suspensions.
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those studying thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, as well as researchers interested in the behavior of nanoparticles in liquids.

dcrisci
Messages
45
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A column of water contains fine metal particles of radius 20 nm, which are in thermal equilibrium at 25°C. If there are 1000 such particles per unit volume at a given height h0 in the water column, how many particles would be found in the same volume 1.0 mm higher than h0? The density of the used metal is ρ = 20.0 g/cm3.

Homework Equations


## U = \frac{3}{2} nRT ##
## N = N_0 e^{\frac{E}{kT}} ##

The Attempt at a Solution


I am unsure of where to begin here, I just provided equations I though were necessary but am not exactly sure if they are the right ones. Any help to begin these problems would be awesome!

I was thinking of finding the internal energy of the water, and the difference in the gravitational potential energy of the particles 1mm higher, and then the total energy would be the sum of these two, which would be the value for E, then T = 298K N0 is 1000?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
dcrisci said:
I was thinking of finding the internal energy of the water, and the difference in the gravitational potential energy of the particles 1mm higher, and then the total energy would be the sum of these two, which would be the value for E, then T = 298K N0 is 1000?

Just realized that the internal energy would be equal at both volumes of water (height h0 and 1mm higher) so I could neglect this and only use the potential energy of the particles ie. E = mgh
 

Similar threads

Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
4K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K