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QUESTION 1
1. An immersion heater functions by passing an electrical current through a heating element (a
poorly-conducting metal). The electrical work is dissipated in the element as heat and is
transferred to a large volume of water. The water is contained within a copper tank, which is
surrounded with a lagging jack (i.e. insulation). At each time throughout the process, the water
and copper tank can be assumed to be at spatially uniform temperature. The insulation can be
assumed to be adiabatic. Calculate the temperature rise (in K) experienced by the water and
tank if i = 9 A of direct current is passed through the heating element for t = 0.6 hours, across a
potential difference of V = 195 V. The volume of the tank, which is completely filled with
water, is Vw = 166 litres. The mass of the copper tank is m = 25 kg. The specific heat
capacities of water and copper are 4187 J/kg/K and 385 J/kg/K, respectively. The density of
water is 1000 kg/m3.

10 points
QUESTION 2
1. A fixed mass of m = 2.34 kg of air at initial temperature of T1 = 365 K and initial pressure of
P1 = 1.3x105 Pa is contained in an adiabatic piston-cylinder apparatus. The piston is gradually
moved such that the air proceeds through a series of equilibrium states until its final volume is
V2 = 9 litres. Calculate the final temperature of the air (in K). Assume the following air
properties: cv = 716 J/kg/K, R = 287 J/kg/K.

10 points
QUESTION 3
1. An industrial process used at Medtronic requires air at a pressure of 5x106 Pa. An engineer is
tasked to recommend a piston-cylinder system to compress atmospheric air, initially at 300 K
and 105 Pa, to the required pressure. She must analyse two reversible piston-cylinder designs to
accomplish this; System 1, in which heat transfer between the gas undergoing compression and
the environment is minimized, and System 2, in which this heat transfer is maximized. If the
sole criterion for Medtronic’s choice of system is the energy requirement for compression,
which system should she recommend?
System 1

System 2

Systems 1 and 2 yield the same outcome

10 points
QUESTION 4
1. As shown in Figure Q4a, air, initially at TA1 = 299 K and P1 = 1x105 Pa, is contained in an
adiabatic piston-cylinder apparatus. The piston has a cross-sectional area of A = 1.1 m2 and can
 be assumed to be massless and of negligible thickness. The air is separated from a copper block
of mass mc = 3.8 kg, initially at TC1 = 645 K, by an adiabatic membrane. The piston initially
rests above the membrane (h1 = 1.4 m). At some time, the adiabatic membrane is removed and
the air and copper are allowed to come to thermal equilibrium. Find the final temperature (in K)
of the air and copper in this equilibrium state. Assume the following air properties: cv = 716
J/kg/K, R = 287 J/kg/K, and the following copper property: c = 385 J/kg/K.

10 points
QUESTION 5
1. The apparatus described in Question 4 is modified by the addition of stoppers at a height h2 =
1.4 m above the copper block, as shown in Figure Q5a. These stoppers prevent the piston from
rising beyond this height. Assuming the following initial conditions, calculate the
finaltemperapure (K) reached after the process occurs in the modified apparatus. Initial
conditions: TA1 = 313 K, P1 = 1x105 Pa, TC1 = 627 K, h1 = 1.1 m. Also note that A = 0.9
m2, mc = 4.8 kg, cv = 716 J/kg/K, R = 287 J/kg/K, and the following copper property: c = 385
J/kg/K.

10 points
QUESTION 6
1. A specific type of ideal gas has a specific heat capacity at constant pressure (cp=cv+R) that is a
function of temperature T, such that cp=0.53+856T, where cp has units of J/kg/K and T has
units of K. The gas, which is initially at T1 = 289 K and P1 = 1.1x105 Pa, undergoes a
reversible adiabatic process such that its final temperature is T2 = 808 K. Calculate the pressure
of the gas (in Pa) in this final state. Assume the following ideal gas constant: R = 287 J/kg/K.
Recall that ds = cpdT/T – RdP/P.

10 points

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