PHYS2002 Thermal Physics Q&A

University of the Witwatersrand
Physics II (PHYS2002)
Thermal Physics Q&A
Questions
1. The atmosphere at the surface of Mars has a pressure that is 7.0 × 10−3 times that of the
atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface. The temperature at the surface of Mars is on
average approximately – 55 °𝐶. Assume that the atmosphere of Mars can be treated as an
ideal gas, and estimate the volume occupied by one mole of atmospheric gas. Comment on
the ideal gas approximation. What is the internal energy of one mole of Martian gas?
2. A small sample of a material is taken through a Carnot cycle between a heat source at 1.76 K
(a bath of pumped liquid helium) and a heat sink at an unknown lower temperature. During
the process 7.5 mJ of energy is absorbed by heating from the helium, and 0.55 mJ are
rejected at the heat sink. Find the lower temperature.
3. The equation for the entropy change in an ideal gas in going from a state (𝑇1 , 𝑉1 ) to a state
(𝑇2 , 𝑉2 ):
𝑇2 𝑉2
∆𝑆 = 𝐶𝑉 𝑙𝑛 + 𝑁𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛
𝑇1 𝑉1
Show that the change in entropy for an adiabatic expansion is zero.
4. The entropy and internal energy of a system of N electrons having a magnetic dipole moment
µ in a uniform magnetic field of magnitude B are given by:
𝑆 = [𝑁𝑙𝑛𝑁 − 𝑛𝑙𝑛𝑛 − (𝑁 − 𝑛) ln(𝑁 − 𝑛) 𝑘𝑏 ; 𝐸 = (𝑁 − 2𝑛)𝜇𝐵;
where n is the number of electrons for which the magnetic dipole moment aligns parallel to
the direction of the magnetic field (N – n electrons are then aligned anti-parallel to the
magnetic field).
a. Show that
𝜕𝑆 𝑁−𝑛
( ) = 𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛
𝜕𝑛 𝐵,𝑁 𝑛
𝜕𝑛 1
( ) =−
𝜕𝐸 𝐵,𝑁 2𝜇𝐵
b. Use the result in (a) to show that the thermodynamic temperature of the system (at
constant B and N) is given by:
1 𝑘𝐵 𝑁−𝑛
=− 𝑙𝑛
𝑇 2𝜇𝐵 𝑛
c. Use the result in (b) to show that the number of electrons for which the magnetic
dipole moment is aligned parallel to the direction of the magnetic field at a
temperature T is given by:
𝑁
𝑛=
2𝜇𝐵
1 + 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [− 𝑘 𝑇 ]
𝐵
Answers
𝜐𝑅𝑇
1. 𝑃𝑉 = 𝜐𝑅𝑇 ⇒ 𝑉 = 𝑃
1×8.314×(273−55)
𝑉= 7×10−3×1×105
𝑉 = 2.5𝑚3
Although T is low, the gas is dilute [low density] and the ideal gas pressure equation of
state is appropriate.
𝑄 𝑇
2. Carnot cycle: 𝑄 𝑙𝑜𝑤 = 𝑇 𝑙𝑜𝑤
ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ
𝑄 0.55×10−3 ×1.76
𝑇𝑙𝑜𝑤 = 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ . 𝑄 𝑙𝑜𝑤 =
ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ 7.5×10−3
𝑇𝑙𝑜𝑤 = 0.13𝐾 𝑜𝑟 130𝑚𝐾
3 𝑇 𝑉
3. ∆𝑆 = 2 𝑁𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛 𝑇2 + 𝑁𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛 𝑉2
1 1
3
Ideal gas: 𝐶𝑉 = 2 𝑁𝑘𝐵
5
𝐶𝑝 = 2 𝑁𝑘𝐵
5
𝛾=3
Adiabatic: 𝑇𝑉 𝛾−1 = 𝑘
𝛾−1 𝛾−1
𝑇1 𝑉1 = 𝑇2 𝑉2
𝑇2 𝑉 𝛾−1 𝑇 𝑉
= (𝑉1 ) ⇒ 𝑙𝑛 𝑇2 = (𝛾 − 1)𝑙𝑛 (𝑉1 )
𝑇1 2 1 2
𝑉1 𝑉2
∆𝑆 = 𝐶𝑉 (𝛾 − 1)𝑙𝑛 + (𝐶𝑝 − 𝐶𝑉 )𝑙𝑛
𝑉2 𝑉1
∆𝑆 𝑉 𝐶 𝑉
= −(𝛾 − 1)𝑙𝑛 𝑉2 + (𝐶𝑝 − 1)𝑙𝑛 𝑉2
𝐶𝑉 1 𝑉 1
𝑉
= [−𝛾 + 1 + 𝛾 − 1]𝑙𝑛 𝑉2
1
=0
∴ ∆𝑆 = 0
4. –
a. 𝑆 = 𝑘𝐵 [𝑁𝑙𝑛𝑁 − 𝑛𝑙𝑛𝑛 − (𝑁 − 𝑛) 𝑙𝑛(𝑁 − 𝑛)]
𝜕𝑆 𝜕 𝜕
(𝜕𝑛) = −𝑘𝐵 [𝜕𝑛 (𝑛𝑙𝑛𝑛) + 𝜕𝑛 (𝑁 − 𝑛) 𝑙𝑛(𝑁 − 𝑛)]
𝐵,𝑁
= −𝑘𝐵 [𝑙𝑛𝑛 − 𝑙𝑛(𝑁 − 𝑛)]

𝑁−𝑛
= 𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛 𝑛
𝜕𝑆 𝑁−𝑛
∴ (𝜕𝑛 ) = 𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛 𝑛
𝐵,𝑁
𝐸 𝑁
𝐸 = (𝑁 − 2𝑛)𝜇𝐵 ⇒ 𝑛 = − 2𝜇𝐵 + 2
𝜕𝑛 1
∴( ) =−
𝜕𝐸 𝐵,𝑁 2𝜇𝐵
1 𝜕𝑆 𝜕𝑆 𝜕𝑛
b. = (𝜕𝐸 ) = (𝜕𝑛 𝜕𝐸 )
𝑇 𝐵,𝑁 𝐵,𝑁
𝑁−𝑛 1
= −𝑘𝐵 𝑙𝑛 .
𝑛 2𝜇𝐵
1 𝐵 𝑘 𝑁−𝑛
∴ 𝑇 = − 2𝜇𝐵 𝑙𝑛 𝑛
𝑁−𝑛 2𝜇𝐵
c. 𝑙𝑛 =−
𝑛 𝑘𝐵 𝑇
𝑁−𝑛 2𝜇𝐵
∴ = exp [− 𝑘 ]
𝑛 𝐵𝑇
2𝜇𝐵
𝑁 = 𝑛{1 + 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [− 𝑘 ]}
𝐵𝑇
𝑁
∴𝑛= 2𝜇𝐵
1+𝑒𝑥𝑝 [− ]
𝑘𝐵 𝑇

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University of the Witwatersrand

Show that the change in entropy for an adiabatic expansion is zero.

𝑆 = [𝑁𝑙𝑛𝑁 − 𝑛𝑙𝑛𝑛 − (𝑁 − 𝑛) ln(𝑁 − 𝑛) 𝑘𝑏 ; 𝐸 = (𝑁 − 2𝑛)𝜇𝐵;

𝑇𝑙𝑜𝑤 = 0.13𝐾 𝑜𝑟 130𝑚𝐾

= −𝑘𝐵 [𝑙𝑛𝑛 − 𝑙𝑛(𝑁 − 𝑛)]

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