FIRST LAW OF

THERMODYNAMICS
(CLOSED SYSTEM)
Prepared by
Engr. Joseph R. Ortenero
Mapua Institute of Technology at Laguna
Malayan Colleges Laguna
Zeroth Law Of Thermodynamics
Consider three objects A, B and C. If the temperature of A is TA,
B is TB and C is TC. Now, if the temperature of A is equal to
the temperature of B, that is, TA = TB. And the temperature of
B is equal to the temperature of C, TB= TC. It follows that TA
= TC.

 This is the theory behind the design of thermometer and

other temperature measuring instruments.
First Law of Thermodynamics
Also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed it is only
transformed from one form into another.

Historically, the first law of thermodynamics was stated for a

cycle; the net heat transfer is equal to the net work done for
a system undergoing a cycle.
The first law can be written as:
Q +W = E
E can take the form of kinetic energy, potential energy or
internal energy.
Q + W = U + KE + PE
 Example
When a system is taken from state a to
state balong path acb, 100J of heat flows
into the system and the system does 40 J
of work.
(a) How much heat flows into the system
along path aeb if the work done by the
system is 20J?
(b) The system returns from b to a along
path bda. If the work done on the
system is 30J, does the system absorb
or liberate heat? How much?
Enthalpy
For the constant pressure heat addition process below:
Q + Wnet = U2 – U1
WPV = -P(V2 – V1)
Q = (U2 + PV2) – (U1 + P V1)
Enthalpy:
H = U + PV
Latent Heat
The amount of energy that must be transferred in the form
of heat to a substance held at constant pressure in order that a
phase change occur.

*latent heat of fusion

*latent heat of vaporization
*latent heat of sublimation
Specific Heat
 The specific internal energy is a function of temperature and
specific volume.

 Constant volume specific heat:

JOULE’S EXPERIMENT
internal energy does not depend on volume and pressure.
Specific heat at constant pressure
 Specific enthalpy is a function of temperature and pressure:

 The constant pressure specific heat is defined as:

 For an Ideal Gas:

Relation b/w Specific Heat and Gas
Constant
 Starting with enthalpy definition:
dh=dU + d(PV)
CpdT =CvdT + RdT
Cp = Cv + R

 Specific Heat Ratio:

γ=Cp/Cv
Cp= Rγ/γ-1
Cv=R/γ-1
 The First Law Applied to Various
Processes
Isothermal Process

Isobaric Process
 lsochoric (Constant- V) Process

Adiabatic Process: Constant Heat Capacities

CONSTANT PRESSURE PROCESS
Q=ΔH

ADIABATIC PROCESS

Cv dT + P dV = 0
Adiabatic process…

Adiabatic quasi-equilibrium process:

POLYTROPIC PROCESS

Since polytropic means "turning many ways:' polytropic

process suggests a model of some versatility.
The several processes already described correspond to the four paths shown on Fig. 3.6 for
specific values of δ.
Isobaric process: δ=0
Isothermal process: δ=1
Adiabatic process: δ=γ
Isochoric process: δ=±∞

Figure 3.6 Paths of polytropic processes characterized by specific

values of δ.
END OF MODULE
Example
Air at 1 bar and 25C is compressed to 5bar and 25C by two
different mechanically reversible processes:
(a) Cooling at constant pressure followed by heating at
constant volume.
(b) Heating at constant volume followed by cooling at constant
pressure.
Calculate the heat and work requirement and deltaU and
deltaH of the air for each path.
Example:
Calculate the work necessary to compress air in an
insulated cylinder from a volume of 6 ft3 to a
volume of 1.2 ft3. The initial temperature and
pressure are 50F and 30 psia, respectively.
Sample Problem:
A steel casting weighing 2 kg has an initial temperature
of 500C; 40 kg of water initially at 25C is contained
in a perfectly insulated steel tank weighing 5 kg. The
casting is immersed in the water and the system is
allowed to come to equilibrium. What is its final
temperature? Ignore any effect of expansion and
contraction, and assume constant specific heats of
4.18 kJ/kg-K for water and 0.50 kJ/kg-K for steel.