Author: Tru Physics

Problem 5.12 Functions encountered in physics are generally well enough behaved that their mixed partial derivatives do not depend on which derivative is taken first. Therefore, for instance, where each is taken with fixed, each is taken with fixed, and is always held fixed. From the thermodynamic identity (for ) you can evaluate the partial…

Problem 5.6 A muscle can be thought of as a fuel cell, producing work from themetabolism 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)…

Problem 5.4 In a hydrogen fuel cell, the steps of the chemical reaction are at – electrode: ;at + electrode: . Calculate the voltage of the cell. What is the minimum voltage required for electrolysis of water? Explain briefly Solution: Problem 5.4 Solution (Download)

Problem 5.2 Consider the production of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen, at 298 K and 1 bar. From the values of and tabulated at the back of this book, compute for this reaction and check that it is consistent with the value given in the table. Solution: Problem 5.2 Solution (Download)

Problem 5.1 Let the system be one mole of argon gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Compute the total energy (kinetic only, neglecting atomic rest energies), entropy, enthalpy, Helmholtz free energy, and Gibbs free energy. Express all answers in SI units. Solution: Problem 5.1 Solution (Download)

Problem 4.1 Recall Problem 1.34, which concerned an ideal diatomic gas taken around a rectangular cycle on a PV diagram. Suppose now that this system is used as a heat engine, to convert the heat added into mechanical work. (a) Evaluate the efficiency of this engine for the case , (b) Calculate the efficiency of…

Problem 3.35 In the text I showed that for an Einstein solid with three oscillators and three units of energy, the chemical potential is (where is the size of an energy unit and we treat each oscillator as a “particle”). Suppose instead that the solid has three oscillators and four units of energy. How does…

Problem 3.34 Polymers, like rubber, are made of very long molecules, usually tangled up in a configuration that has lots of entropy. As a very crude model of a rubber band, consider a chain of links, each of length (see Figure 3.17). Imagine that each link has only two possible states, pointing either left or…

Problem 3.33 Use the thermodynamic identity to derive the heat capacity formula which is occasionally more convenient than the more familiar expression in terms of Then derive a similar formula for , by first writing in terms of and Solution: Problem 3.33 Solution (Download)

Problem 3.25 In Problem 2.18 you showed that the multiplicity of an Einstein solid containing N oscillators and q energy units is approximately (a) Starting with this formula, find an expression for the entropy of an Einstein solid as a function of and Explain why the factors omitted from the formula have no effect on…