TUTORIAL 1 1.0 What is the difference between the classical and the statistical approaches to thermodynamics? 2.

0 Why does a bicyclist pick up speed on a downhill road even when he is not pedaling? Does this violate the conservation of energy principle? 3.0 An office worker claims that a cup of cold coffee on his table warmed up to 80C by picking up energy from the surrounding air, which is at 25C. Is there any truth to this claim? Does this process violate any thermodynamic laws? 4.0 What is the driving force for (a) heat transfer, (b)electric current, and (c)fluid flow. 5.0 Can there be any heat transfer between two bodies that are at the same temperature but at different pressure? 6.0 How does the science of heat transfer differ from science of thermodynamics? 7.0 What is the net force acting on a car cruising at a constant velocity of 70 km/h (a) on a level road and (b) on an uphill road? 8.0 Determine the mass and the weight of the air contained in a room whose dimension are 6 m x 6 m x 8 m. Assume the density of the air is 1.16 kg/m3. 9.0 If the mass of an object is 5 kg, what is its weight, in kgf, at a location where g=9.80 m/s2.

ANSWER 1.0 Classical thermodynamics is based on experimental observations whereas statistical thermodynamics is based on the average behavior of large groups of particles. On a downhill road the potential energy of the bicyclist is being converted to kinetic energy, and thus the bicyclist picks up speed. There is no creation of energy, and thus no violation of the conservation of energy principle. There is no truth to his claim. It violates the second law of thermodynamics. (a) The driving force for heat transfer is the temperature difference. (b) The driving force for electric current flow is the electric potential difference (voltage). (c) The driving force for fluid flow is the pressure difference. No, there cannot be any heat transfer between two bodies that are at the same temperature (regardless of pressure) since the driving force for heat transfer is temperature difference. Thermodynamics deals with the amount of heat transfer as a system undergoes a process from one equilibrium state to another. Heat transfer, on the other hand, deals with the rate of heat transfer as well as the temperature distribution within the system at a specified time. There is no acceleration, thus the net force is zero in both cases.

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Assumptions The density of air is constant throughout the room. Properties The density of air is given to be = 1.16 kg/m3. Analysis The mass of the air in the room is
m = V = (1.16 kg/m 3 )(6 6 8 m 3 ) = 334.1 kg

Thus,
1N W = mg = (334.1 kg)(9.81 m/s ) 1 kg m/s 2
2

ROOM AIR m3

6X6X8 = 3277 N