Prepared by: EFREN A.

DELA CRUZ
E-mail Address: [email protected]

Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz 3120
Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Instructional Module for the Course

(MENGR 3100 – Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Module 3
The Ideal Gas equation
Overview

Property tables provides very precise data about the properties

such as the steam table, but they are usually bulky and susceptible to
typographical errors. A more practical and desirable way is to have
some simple relationships among these properties that are appropriately
general and precise. This module introduces equation that relates the
pressure, temperature, and specific volume of gasses. Property relations
that involve other properties of a substance at equilibrium conditions are
known as equations of state, there are several equations of state, from
very simple to a much complex one. The simplest and best-known
equation of state for substances in the gas phase is the ideal-gas equation
of state. This module will first introduce the common equation of gasses
related to the ideal gas equation that predicts the P-v-T behavior of a
gas.
 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

I. Objectives
Upon successful completion of the module, students are expected to:
a. Explain the fundamental gas laws related to the ideal gas equation.
b. Define or recognize the gas processes in the analysis of a system.
c. Solve ideal and common gasses related problems with proper units and
dimensions.

II. Learning Activities

4. The Ideal Gas

An ideal gas is ideal only in the sense that it conforms to the simple gas laws.

Boyle’s Law
If the temperature of a given quantity of gas is held constant, the volume of the
gas varies inversely with the absolute pressure during a change of state.
V1 or V=C
P P

PV = C or P1V1 = P2V2

Charles’s Law
(1) If the pressure on a particular quantity of gas is held constant, then, with any
change of state, the volume will vary directly as the absolute temperature.
VT or V = CT

V=C or V1 = V2
T T1 T2

Gay-Lussac’s Law
(2) If the volume of a particular quantity of gas is held constant, then, with any
change of state, the pressure will vary directly as the absolute temperature.
PT or P = CT

P=C or P1 = P2
T T1 T2

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Equation of State or Characteristics Equation of a Perfect Gas (Ideal Gas)

Combining Boyle’s and Charles’s laws,
P1V1 = P2V2 = C, a constant
T1 T2

PV = mR
T

PV = mRT

Pv = RT
(unit mass)

where p = absolute pressure

V = volume
v = specific volume
m = mass
T = absolute temperature
R = specific gas constant or simply gas constant
P V m T R

English units lbf ft3 lbm R ft.lbf

ft2 lbm.R

SI units N m3 kg K N.m
m 2
kg.K
Sample Problems

1. A drum 6 in. in diameter and 40 in. long contained acetylene at 250 psia and
90F. After some of the acetylene was used, the pressure was 200 psia and the
temperature was 85F, (a) What proportion of the acetylene was used? (b) What volume
would the used acetylene occupy at 14.7 psia and 80F? R for acetylene is 59.35
ft.lb/lb.R.

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Specific Heat (c)

The specific heat of a substance is defined as the quantity of heat required to
change the temperature of unit mass through one degree.

In dimensional form,
c= heat (energy units)
(mass)(change of temperature)

In differential quantities,

c = dQ/mdT or dQ = mcdT

and for a particular mass m,

Q = m 12 cdT

(The specific heat equation)

If the mean or instantaneous value of specific heat is used,

Q = mc 12 dT = mc (T2-T1)

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Constant Pressure Specific Heat ( cp)

Constant Volume Specific Heat (cv)

Qv = U

Qv = mcv (T2-T1)
Ratio of Specific Heats
k = cp/cv > 1
Internal Energy of an Ideal Gas
Joule’s law states that “the change of internal energy of an ideal gas is a function
of only the temperature change.” Therefore, U is given by the formula,

U = mcv (T2-T1)
whether the volume remains constant or not.

Enthalpy of an Ideal Gas

The change of enthalpy of an ideal gas is given by the formula,

H = mcp (T2-T1)
whether the pressure remains constant or not.
Relation Between cp and cv

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

From h = u + pv and pv = RT
dh = du + RdT
cpdT = cvdT + RdT

cp = cv + R

cv = R/k-1

cp = kR/k-1
Example.
1. For a certain ideal gas R = 25.8 ft.lb/lb.R and k = 1.09 (a) What are the values
of cp and cv? (b) What mass of this gas would occupy a volume of 15 cu ft at 75 psia and
80F? (c) If 30 Btu are transferred to this gas at constant volume in (b), what are the
resulting temperature and pressure?

Entropy (S, s)
Entropy is that property of a substance that remains constant if no heat enters or
leaves the substance, while it does work or alters its volume, but which increases or
diminishes should a small amount of heat enter or leave.
The change of entropy of a substance receiving (or delivering) heat is defined by

dS = dQ/T or S = 12 dQ/T

where: dQ = heat transferred at the temperature T
S = total change of entropy

S = 12 mcdT/T

S = mc12 dT/T = mc ln T2
T1
(constant specific heat)

Temperature-Entropy Coordinates

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Any process that can be made to go in the reverse direction by an infinitesimal

change in the conditions is called a reversible process.
Any process that is not reversible is irreversible.

Entropy changes for closed system

1. The entropy will decrease when heat is removed from the system, for all
reversible processes.
2. The entropy will remain constant when reversible adiabatic processes occur
within the system.
3. The entropy will increase when heat is added to the system, reversibly or
irreversibly.
4. The entropy of an isolated system will increase when irreversible processes occur
within it.
Entropy changes for open system
1. For Steady, one-dimensional, adiabatic flow, the entropy increases or remains
constant, it cannot decrease.
III. Assessment

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

I. Problem Solving – Clearly and neatly solve each problem in a separate sheet/s of short
bond paper. No solutions and/or units will be considered incorrect.MENGR-200

1. An unknown gas has a mass of 1.5 kg and occupies 2.5 m3 while at a temperature
of 3000K and a pressure of 200 kPa. Determine the ideal-gas constant for the gas.

2. A motorist equips her automobile tires with a relief type valve so that the pressure
inside the tire never will exceed 240 kPa (gage). She starts a trip with a pressure
of 200 kpa (gage) and a temperature of 230C in the tires. During the long drive
the temperature of the air in the tires reaches 83oC. Each tire initially contains
0.11 kg of air. Assuming that the tires are inflexible. Determine (a) the mass of air
escaping each tire; (b) the pressure of the tire when the temperature returns to
230C.

3. A 6-m3 tank contains helium at 4000K and is evacuated from atmospheric pressure
to a pressure of 740 mm Hg vacuum. Determine (a) the mass of helium remaining
in the tank; (b) the mass of helium pumped out. (c) If the temperature of the
remaining helium falls to 100C. What will be the pressure in kPa?

4. A 1.5-kg of ethane is cooled at constant pressure from 1700C to 630C. Determine

(a) the change of enthalpy; (b) the change of internal energy; (c) the heat
transferred; (d) the work done.

5. A 5 m3 tank contain chlorine at 300 kPa and 3000K after 3 kg of chlorine has been
used. Determine the original mass and pressure if the original temperature was
3150K.

6. Carbon dioxide at 250C and 101.3 kPa has a density of 1.799 kg/m3. Determine (a)
the gas constant; (b) the molecular weight based on the gas constant.

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

Problem Set #
MENGR-200

2. An automobile tire is inflated to 32 psig pressure at 50F. After being driven the
temperature rise to 75F. Determine the final gage pressure assuming the volume
remains constant.

3. If 100-cu.ft atmospheric air at zero Fahrenheit temperature are compressed to a

volume of 1 cu.ft at a temperature of 200F, what will be the pressure of the air in
psi?

4. A 10-cu.ft tank contains gas at a pressure of 500 psia, temperature of 85F and a
weight of 25 pounds. A part of the gas was discharged and the temperature and
pressure changed to 70F and 300 psia, respectively. Heat was applied and the
temperature was back to 85F. Find the final weight, volume and pressure of the
gas.

5. Four hundred cubic centimeters of a gas at 740 mm Hg absolute and 18C

undergoes a process until the pressure becomes 760 mm Hg absolute and the
temperature 0C. What is the final volume of the gas?

6. A 6-cu.m tanks contains helium at 400 K and is evacuated from atmospheric

pressure to a pressure of 740 mm Hg vacuum. Determine (a) mass of helium
remaining in the tank, (b) mass of helium pumped out, (c) the temperature of the
remaining helium falls to 10C. What is the pressure in kPa?

7. An automobile tire contains 3730 cu.in. of air at 32 psig and 80F. (a) What mass
of air is in the tire? (b) In operation, the air temperature increases to 145C. If the
tire is inflexible, what is the resulting percentage increase in the gage pressure?
(c) What mass of the 145F air must be bled off to reduce the pressure back to its
original value?

8. For a certain gas, R = 0.277 kJ/kg.K and k = 1.384. (a) What are the value of cp
and cv? (b) What mass of this gas would occupy a volume of 0.425 cu m at 517.11
kPa and 26.7C?

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 MENGR 3100 (Basic Mechanical Engineering)

References
Moran, M. J. and Shapiro, H. N. 2006. Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics
5th edition. SI version. John Willey & Sons. England.

Cengel, Yunus A. 2008. Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. McGraw-

Hill Inc. New York.

Moran et al. 2003. Introduction to Thermal Systems Engineering: Thermodynamics,

Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York

Burghardt, M. D. and Harvbach, J. A. 1993. Engineering Thermodynamics 4rth edition.

Harper Collins. New York.

Thermodynamics Online references and lectures (Yale Open courseware etc..)

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