How Much Ice Melts in a Carnot Engine Cycle?

In summary, a Carnot engine uses a hot reservoir of boiling water and a cold reservoir of ice and water. With 6600 J of heat input, it produces work. To calculate the amount of ice melted, the efficiency equation Qc/Qh = Tc/Th can be used.
  • #1
jalpabhav
10
0
A Carnot engine uses a hot reservoir consisting of a large amount of boiling water and a cold reservoir consisting of a large tub of ice and water. When 6600 J of heat is put into the engine and the engine produces work, how many kilograms of ice in the tub are melted due to the heat delivered to the cold reservoir? (See Table 12.3 for appropriate constants.)

I'm not sure how to being.
I was thinking about using:
Qc/Qh = Tc/Th but I'm not sure
 
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  • #2
jalpabhav said:
A Carnot engine uses a hot reservoir consisting of a large amount of boiling water and a cold reservoir consisting of a large tub of ice and water. When 6600 J of heat is put into the engine and the engine produces work, how many kilograms of ice in the tub are melted due to the heat delivered to the cold reservoir? (See Table 12.3 for appropriate constants.)

I'm not sure how to being.
I was thinking about using:
Qc/Qh = Tc/Th but I'm not sure

If you know the reservoir temperatures and the heat input to a Carnot engine, you should be able to calculate the heat output. What equations do you have for the efficiency of a Carnot engine?
 
  • #3


As a scientist, it is important to approach problems systematically and methodically. Let's first define the variables in this scenario. Qc represents the heat delivered to the cold reservoir, while Qh represents the heat delivered to the hot reservoir. Tc and Th represent the temperatures of the cold and hot reservoirs, respectively.

Using the equation Qc/Qh = Tc/Th, we can rearrange it to solve for the heat delivered to the cold reservoir, Qc. This can be done by multiplying both sides by Qh, giving us Qc = (Tc/Th) * Qh.

Now, we can use the given information to solve for the mass of ice melted. We know that 6600 J of heat is delivered to the engine, which means Qh = 6600 J. We can also look up the values for Th and Tc in Table 12.3. Let's assume that the hot reservoir has a temperature of 100°C (373 K) and the cold reservoir has a temperature of 0°C (273 K).

Plugging these values into our equation, we get Qc = (273/373) * 6600 J = 4800 J. This means that 4800 J of heat is delivered to the cold reservoir.

Now, we can use the heat of fusion of water (333.5 J/g) to calculate the mass of ice melted. We divide the heat delivered to the cold reservoir by the heat of fusion to get the mass of ice melted: 4800 J / 333.5 J/g = 14.4 g.

Therefore, approximately 14.4 grams of ice will melt due to the 6600 J of heat delivered to the engine. It is important to note that this is a simplified calculation and does not take into account any losses or inefficiencies in the engine.
 

FAQ: How Much Ice Melts in a Carnot Engine Cycle?

What is a Carnot Engine?

A Carnot Engine is a theoretical thermodynamic cycle that operates between two heat reservoirs at different temperatures to convert heat energy into mechanical work. It follows the principles of the Carnot cycle, which is a reversible cycle with two isothermal and two adiabatic processes.

How does a Carnot Engine work?

A Carnot Engine works by taking in heat energy from a hot reservoir and converting it into mechanical work through a series of reversible processes. The engine then releases the remaining heat energy into a cold reservoir. This process continues in a cycle, and the net work output is determined by the difference in temperatures between the two reservoirs.

What is the efficiency of a Carnot Engine?

The efficiency of a Carnot Engine is given by the ratio of the temperature difference between the two reservoirs to the temperature of the hot reservoir. This means that it is dependent on the temperatures of the two reservoirs and is always less than 100% due to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

How is the efficiency of a Carnot Engine calculated?

The efficiency of a Carnot Engine can be calculated using the formula: Efficiency = (Th - Tc) / Th, where Th is the temperature of the hot reservoir and Tc is the temperature of the cold reservoir. This formula is based on the principles of the Carnot cycle and the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

What are some real-life applications of Carnot Engines?

Although Carnot Engines are theoretical and not practical due to their idealized assumptions, the principles of the Carnot cycle can be seen in real-life applications such as steam engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps. These devices use the principles of heat transfer and temperature differences to convert energy from one form to another.

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