Assignment 1

Introduction to Thermodynamics
Concept Questions (Brief Answers)
Q1

Separate the list P, F, V , v, , T, a, m, L, t, and V into intensive properties, extensive

properties, and non-properties

Q2

Is density a unique measure of mass distribution in a volume? Does it vary? If so, on

what kind of scale (distance)?

Q3

The overall density of fibers, rock wool insulation, foams, and cotton is fairly low. Why?

Q4

Can you carry 1 m3 of liquid water?

Q5

A heavy cabinet has four adjustable feet. What feature of the feet will ensure that they
do not make dents in the floor?

Q6

The pressure at the bottom of a swimming pool is evenly distributed. Consider a stiff
steel plate lying on the ground. Is the pressure below it just as evenly distributed?

Q7

Two divers swim at a depth of 20 m. One of them swims directly under a supertanker;
the other avoids the tanker. Who feels greater pressure?

Q8

What is the lowest temperature in degrees Celsius? In degrees Kelvin?

Q9

A thermometer that indicates the temperature with a liquid column has a bulb with a
larger volume of liquid. Why?

Problems
Q1

A bottle of 12 kg steel has 1.75 kmoles of liquid propane. It accelerates horizontally at a

rate of 3 m/ 2 . What is the needed force?

Q2

A tank has two rooms separated by a membrane. Room A has 1 kg of air and a volume of
0.5 3 ; room B has 0.75 3 of air with density 0.8 kg/3 . The membrane is broken, and
the air comes to a uniform state. Find the final density of the air

Q3

A U-tube manometer filled with water (density =1000 kg/3 ) shows a height difference
of 25 cm. What is the gauge pressure? If the right branch is tilted to make an angle of
300 with the horizontal, as shown in Fig.1, what should the length of the column in the
tilted tube be relative to the U-tube?

Figure 1
Q4

A pipe flowing light oil has a manometer attached, as shown in Fig.2. What is the
absolute pressure in the pipe flow?

Figure 2
Q5

Two cylinders are filled with liquid water, = 1000 kg/3 , and connected by a line with
a closed valve, as shown in Fig. 3. A has 100 kg and B has 500 kg of water, their crosssectional areas are AA = 0.1 2 and AB = 0.25 2 and the height h is 1 m. Find the
pressure on either side of the valve. The valve is opened and water flows to an
equilibrium. Find the final pressure at the valve location

Figure 3
Q6

The atmosphere becomes colder at higher elevations. As an average, the standard

atmospheric absolute temperature can be expressed as = 288 6.5 103 z, where
z is the elevation in meters. How cold is it outside an airplane cruising at 12 000 m,
expressed in degrees Kelvin and Celsius?

Q7

Two cylinders are connected by a piston, as shown in Fig. 4 . Cylinder A is used as a

hydraulic lift and pumped up to 500 kPa. The piston mass is 25 kg, and there is standard
gravity. What is the gas pressure in cylinder B?

Figure 4

Q8

A 5-kg piston in a cylinder with diameter of 100 mm is loaded with a linear spring and
the outside atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa, as shown in Fig.5. The spring exerts no
force on the piston when it is at the bottom of the cylinder, and for the state shown, the
pressure is 400 kPa with volume 0.4 L. The valve is opened to let some air in, causing the
piston to rise 2 cm. Find the new pressure

Figure 5