A Levelchapter14 16
A Levelchapter14 16
14 Temperature
Thermal equilibrium
What is temperature?
» Temperature tells us the direction in which there will be a net energy flow
between objects in thermal contact.
» Thermal energy will tend to flow from an object at high temperature to an object
at a lower temperature.
» If there is no net energy flow between two objects in thermal contact, then
those two objects are at the same temperature. They are said to be in thermal
equilibrium.
» Figure 14.1(a) shows that if object A is at a higher temperature than object B,
and if object B is at a higher temperature than object C, then object A is at a
higher temperature than object C.
» Figure 14.1(b) shows that if object P is in thermal equilibrium with object Q, and
if object Q is in thermal equilibrium with object R, then object P is in thermal
equilibrium with object R.
(a) 1 If energy flows (b) 1 No net energy flow
from A to B from P to Q
A B P Q
Temperature scales
Measurement of temperature
To measure temperature, a physical property that varies with temperature is used.
Examples are:
» expansion of a liquid (including resultant change in density)
» expansion of a gas at constant pressure
» change of pressure of a gas at constant volume
» change in resistance of a metal or a semiconductor
» e.m.f. produced across the junctions of a thermocouple
Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics Study and Revision Guide 127
WORKED EXAMPLE
Copy and complete Table 14.1, showing your working.
▼ Table 14.1
Temperature/K Temperature/°C
Boiling point of water 100
Boiling point of bromine 332.40
Boiling point of helium 4.37
Triple point of hydrogen −259.34
Boiling point of nitrogen 77.50
Answer
▼ Table 14.2
WORKED EXAMPLE
An electric shower is designed to work from a Answer
230 V mains supply. It heats the water as it passes
through narrow tubes prior to the water passing power = VI = mcΔθ
through the shower head. Water enters the heater at
where m is the mass of water passing through the
12°C and when the flow rate is 0.12 kg s−1 it leaves at
heater per second
28°C. Calculate the current in the heater, assuming
that energy losses are negligible. 230I = 0.12 × 4200 × (28 − 12)
(specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J kg−1 °C−1)
I = 35 A
Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics Study and Revision Guide 129
WORKED EXAMPLE
A 1.5 kW kettle contains 400 g of boiling water. Answer
Calculate the mass of water remaining if it is left
DQ
switched on for a further 5 minutes. (specific latent Lv =
Dm
heat of vaporisation of water = 2.26 MJ kg−1)
Therefore:
DQ (1.5 × 103) × (5 × 60)
∆m = = = 0.199 kg = 199 g
Lv 2.26 × 106
mass remaining = 400 − 199 = 201 g
REVISION ACTIVITY
Look up, on the internet, the energy arriving at the Earth from the Sun per
day. How much ice could this energy melt? Fortunately, most of this energy is
reradiated into space. If there were a 0.1% decrease in the amount of energy
reradiated away, what extra mass of ice could be melted in a year?
Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics Study and Revision Guide 131
15 Ideal gases
The mole and the Avogadro constant
» You are already familiar with the idea of measuring mass in kilograms and
thinking of mass in terms of the amount of matter in an object.
» The mole measures the amount of matter from a different perspective – the
number of particles in an object.
» One mole was traditionally defined as the amount of substance that has the
same number of particles as there are atoms in 12 g of carbon-12 isotope.
(See p. 94 for information about isotopes.)
» The more modern definition states the precise number of particles in a mole.
This number is the Avogadro constant (symbol NA) and is equal to STUDY TIP
6.02214076 × 1023. You are not expected to
» The amount of matter is a base quantity and its unit the mole, consequently, is a remember the Avogadro
constant to 9 significant
base unit.
figures! Generally,
» The abbreviation for the mole is mol. we shall work to no
So: more than 3 significant
figures, making the
» One mole of carbon-12 isotope contains 6.02 × 1023 carbon-12 atoms and has a Avogadro constant
mass of 12 g. 6.02 × 1023.
» One mole of helium-4 isotope contains 6.02 × 1023 helium-4 atoms and has a
mass of 4 g.
Many gases are found not as single atoms but as diatomic molecules. For example,
two hydrogen atoms form a H2 molecule, so one mole of hydrogen contains
6.02 × 1023 hydrogen molecules (H2) or 12.04 × 1023 atoms of hydrogen.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Calculate the number of atoms in, and the mass of, the following:
a 1 mol of ozone (O3)
b 3 mol of water (H2O)
(relative atomic mass of oxygen = 16, relative atomic mass of hydrogen = 1)
Answer
a 1 mol of ozone = 6.02 × 1023 molecules
= 3 × 6.02 × 1023 atoms
= 18.06 × 1023 atoms ≈ 18.1 × 1023 atoms
mass of ozone in 1 mol = 3 × 16 = 48 g
b Each molecule of water contains 3 atoms (2 hydrogens, 1 oxygen).
number of atoms in 1 mol of water = 3 × 6.02 × 1023 = 18.06 × 1023 atoms
number of atoms in 3 mol = 3 × 18.06 × 1023 ≈ 5.42 × 1024 atoms
1 mol of water has mass = (2 × 1) + (1 × 16) = 18 g
Therefore, the mass of 3 moles = 3 × 18 = 54 g.
Equation of state
The ideal gas equation
Experimental work shows that a fixed mass of any gas, at temperatures well above
the temperature at which it condenses to form a liquid, and at a wide range of
pressures, follows the following relationships:
1
» at constant temperature, p ∝
V
» at constant pressure, V ∝ T
» at constant volume, p ∝ T
Combining the three proportionalities, it follows that:
pV ∝ T
where p is the pressure, V is the volume and T is the temperature measured on the
kelvin scale. The kelvin scale of temperature is discussed further on p. 128.
These three relationships can be combined to form a single equation:
pV
= constant
T
The equation can be written as:
pV = nRT
where n is the number of moles of gas and R is the molar gas constant. The molar
gas constant has the same value for all gases, 8.31 J K−1. This equation is known as
the equation of state for an ideal gas.
An ideal gas is defined as a gas that obeys the equation of state, pV = nRT, at all
temperatures, pressures and volumes.
Real gases, such as hydrogen, helium and oxygen, follow the equation at room
temperature and pressure. However, if the temperature is greatly decreased or the
pressure is very high, they no longer behave in this way.
WORKED EXAMPLE
1 A syringe of volume 25 cm3 holds hydrogen at a pressure of 1.02 × 105 Pa
and temperature 280 K. The volume of the gas is reduced to 10 cm3 and the
temperature increases by 5 K. Calculate the new pressure of the gas.
Answer
p1V1 p2V2
Can be rewritten as =
T1 T2
Substitute in the values:
(1.02 × 105) × 25 p2 × 10
=
280 285
Thus:
p2 = 2.6 × 105 Pa
2 Calculate the volume occupied by 48 mg of oxygen at 20°C and a pressure
of 1.0 × 105 Pa. (relative atomic mass of oxygen = 16)
Answer
temperature = 273 + 20 = 293 K
oxygen forms diatomic O2 molecules, so the mass of 1 mol of oxygen = 32 g
48 × 10−3
number of moles in 48 mg = = 1.5 × 10−3 mol
32
Using pV = nRT:
nRT (1.5 × 10 −3) × 8.3 × 293
V= = = 3.7 × 10−5 m3
p 1.0 × 105
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L
c
L
▲ Figure 15.1
When the molecule collides with the right-hand wall it will rebound with velocity −c.
change in momentum = −2mc
The molecule travels a distance of 2L before colliding with that wall again, so the
time elapsed is 2L/c.
rate of change of momentum =
force applied by the molecule on this wall
2mc mc2
= =
2L/c L
The area of the wall is L2, so:
force mc2
pressure = = 3
area L
The molecule being considered is moving perpendicular to the two faces with which it
collides. In practice, a typical molecule moves randomly and collides with all six faces.
Thus, the total area involved is three times that which has been considered, so:
mc2
pressure =
3L3
The total number of molecules in the box is N, each with a different speed c
contributing to the overall pressure. The average of the velocities squared is called
the mean-square speed, <c2>.
So:
1 Nm<c2>
pressure =
3 L3
L3 = V, the volume of the box.
1 Nm<c2>
p=
3 V
It is sometimes useful to write this equation as:
1
pV = Nm<c2>
3
Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics Study and Revision Guide 135
WORKED EXAMPLE
At room temperature and pressure (293 K and 1.0 × 105 Pa), 1 mol of any gas
occupies a volume of 24 dm3. Calculate the root-mean-square speed of the
following at this temperature:
a helium atoms (atomic mass = 4 u)
b oxygen molecules (atomic mass = 16 u, mass of O2 = 32 u)
Answer
a Nm = total mass of 1 mol of helium = 4 × 10 −3 kg
1 Nm<c2>
p=
3 V
3pV 3 × (1.0 × 105) × (24 × 10−3)
<c2> = = = 18 × 105 m2 s−2
Nm 4 × 10−3
√<c2> = 1342 m s−1 = 1300 m s−1 (2 s.f.)
b Nm = total mass of 1 mol of O2 molecules = 3.2 × 10 –2 kg
3pV 3 × (1.0 × 105) × (24 × 10−3)
<c2> = = = 2.25 × 105 m2 s−2
Nm 3.2 × 10−3
√<c2> = 470 m s−1
REVISION ACTIVITIES
The relationship between temperature and kinetic energy only works precisely
for an ideal gas. For a monatomic gas, it works well, but less well for diatomic
or triatomic gases. Suggest explanations for these facts.
‘Must learn’ equations:
3 1
pV = nRT kT = m<c2>
2 2
1 R 1
pV = Nm<c2> = Nm<c2>
3 NA 3
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16 Thermodynamics
Internal energy and the first law of
thermodynamics
Internal energy
» In the previous sections, we have seen that the particles in an object have a
mixture of kinetic energy and potential energy. KEY TERMS
» Kinetic energy determines the temperature of the object, and potential energy Internal energy is
determines the state of the object. the sum of a random
distribution of the
» Not all particles have the same kinetic and potential energies – they are
kinetic and potential
randomly distributed. energies associated
» The internal energy of an object is the sum of the random kinetic and potential with the molecules of a
energies of all the particles in the object. system.
A V ∆V
▲ Figure 16.1
The gas is heated so that its volume increases by an amount ΔV against a constant
atmospheric pressure. The gas expands, so work is done against atmospheric
pressure:
W = FΔx
where F is the force on the piston.
force on the piston = pressure of the gas × area of cross-section of the piston = pA
So:
W = pAΔx = pΔV
WORKED EXAMPLE
0.14 m3 of helium at a temperature of 20°C is Answer
contained in a cylinder by a frictionless piston.
The atmospheric pressure is a steady 1.02 × 105 Pa. a Consider helium to be an ideal gas. Therefore:
(p1V1) (p2V2) V V
The helium is heated until the temperature of the = → 1= 2
T1 T2 T1 T2
gas is 77°C. The piston moves so that the pressure
on the gas remains at atmospheric pressure. p remains constant throughout the change and
therefore p1 and p2 cancel.
a Calculate the change in volume of the helium at
77°C. Substitute in the values:
b Calculate the work done by the gas on the 0.14/(20 + 273) = V2/(77 + 273)
atmosphere.
V2 = (0.14 × 350)/293 = 0.167 m3
ΔV = V2 – V1 = 0.167 – 0.14 = 0.027 m3
b ΔW = pΔV = 1.02 × 105 × (0.167 − 0.140) = 2800 J
REVISION
NOW TEST YOURSELF ACTIVITY
1 An isothermal change is a change in which there is no change in ‘Must learn’ equations:
temperature. Explain why there can be a change in internal energy of a
system in an isothermal change of a real gas. ΔU = q + W
W = pΔV
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