Problem 5.6 (Schroeder’s Intro to Thermal Physics)

Problem 5.6

A muscle can be thought of as a fuel cell, producing work from the
metabolism of glucose:

a) Use the data at the back of this book to determine the values of and for this reaction, for one mole of glucose. Assume that the reaction takes place at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

(b) What is the maximum amount of work that a muscle can perform, for each mole of glucose consumed, assuming ideal operation?

(c) Still assuming ideal operation, how much heat is absorbed or expelled by the chemicals during the metabolism of a mole of glucose? (Be sure to say which direction the heat flows.)

(d) Use the concept of entropy to explain why the heat flows in the direction it does.

(e) How would your answers to parts (b) and (c) change, if the operation of the muscle is not ideal?

Solution:

Problem 5.6 Solution (Download)

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