Course: Thermodynamics( MEC203)

Major Topic: First law of Thermodynamics

Sub Topics:
First law of Thermodynamics for a closed system undergoing a cycle
First law of Thermodynamics for a closed system undergoing a change of state
Energy: A property of a system

Prepared By: Sudhanshu Dogra

Assistant Professor/COD(Thermal Engineering)
UID: 16900
School of Mechanical Engineering
Lovely Professional University
First law of Thermodynamics for a closed system undergoing a cycle
Let us consider a closed system which consists of water having mass “m” and contained in an
adiabatic vessel having a thermometer and a paddle wheel. The arrangement is given below in
the figure.
Contd…
Ley W1-2 work is done on the system by the movement of paddle wheel downwards due to weight.

Due to this stirrer starts rotating and it in turns increase the temperature of water from t 1 to t2.

Now let the insulation be removed from the up.

Due to this some heat Q2-1 get rejected from system to surroundings until temperature gets back to t 1 again from t2.

It has been found from the experiment that W1-2 is always proportional to Q2-1 .
Contd…

Therefore as written earlier that W1-2 is always proportional to Q2-1 .

Here J is called as Joule’s equivalent or mechanical equivalent of heat.

First law of Thermodynamics for a closed system undergoing a change of state
The expansion is only applicable for a closed system if it is
undergoing a cyclic process.
But if it is not a cyclic process the above law is not applicable. In that system is undergoing a
change of state and involved both heat and work transfer with some energy gets accumulated or
stored in the system.
Let if Q is the amount of heat transferred to the system and W be the work done by the system
during the process. Then (Q-W) will be stored within the system and is called as Internal energy
or energy of the system.
Therefore, Q-W = ∆E
Q = ∆E + W
Contd…
In the same way as before, we can apply this rule to the below system.

(Q2 + Q3 - Q1) = ∆E + (W2 + W3 – W1 – W4)

Energy: A property of a system
Consider a system which changes its state from state 1 to state 2 by following the path L, and returns from state 2 to state
1 by following the path M. So the system undergoes a cycle. Writing the first law for path L

QL = ΔEL + WL (1)

and for path M

QM = Δ EM + WM (2)
Contd…
The processes L and M together constitute a cycle, for which
dW = dQ

WL + WM = QL + QM

or QL – WL = WM – QM (3)
From equations (1), (2) and (3), it yields
Δ EL = – Δ EM (4)
Similarly, had the system returned from state 2 to state 1 by following the path N instead
of path M

Δ EL = – Δ EN (5)
Contd…

From equations (4) and (5),

Δ EM = Δ EN (6)

Thus, it is seen that the change in energy between two states of a system is the same, whatever
path the system may follow in undergoing that change of state. If some arbitrary value of energy
is assigned to state 2, the value of energy at state 1 is fixed independent of the path the system
follows. Therefore, energy has a definite value
THANKS