Max.

marks:15 Time Allowed:15 minutes

Solution of Quiz 1: First Law of Thermodynamics

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1. As a result of some process, the internal energy of a system is increased. According to

the rst law of thermodynamics, Eint = Q + W . How can one tell that the increase
was due to orderly macroscopic work W or due to the ow of energy through disorderly
microscopic means Q?
(a) By measuring the temperature of the system before and after the process.
(b) By measuring the temperature of the surroundings before and after the process.
(c) It is not possible to distinguish between W and Q.
(d) Both (a) and (b) are correct.
Answer 1:
(a) is incorrect because the internal energy has disordered (random) and ordered parts.
You can change the internal energy without change in temperature. For example,
by bringing a magnet close to or moving it away from an iron piece, the iron can
be magnetized or demagnetized. Its internal energy therefore changes (e.g. it can
subsequently do work by lifting an iron piece). Yet its temperature hasnt changed.
Once W or Q has been transferred to a system, it is dicult to tell what caused
a change in the internal energy to begin with. This is like depositing money in a
bank. Once the money is there, it is unnecessary to know, where the money came
from. The only way to tell whether W or Q contributed to the change in internal
energy is by looking at the surroundings. For example, measure its temperature. If
the temperature goes down, there has been a ow of energy Q from the surrounding
to the system. Hence the correct answer is (b).

2. Man learnt the use of re to raise the temperature of objects much earlier than the
use of mechanical work, e.g. in steam engines. Could you think of a reason why this
could be true?
Answer 2:
Fire results in chaotic motion of air molecules in contact with an object whom we wish

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Max. marks:15 Time Allowed:15 minutes

to call heat.This process involves the disorganized, unconstrained collisions between

molecules. Mechanical work, however requires a much higher degree of ordered control
and hence sophistication. Therefore one could imagine that man mastered the use of
re much earlier than steam engine could be invented.

3. What temperature is required to have 25% of H atoms in the rst excited state and
75% in the ground state? The value of kB is 8.6 105 eV/K
(a) room temperature 300 K
(b) 9.9 104 K
(c) 7.4 104 K
(d) 2.5 104 K
(e) innite temperature.
Answer 3:
Since we know that, for hydrogen atom,

N2 1
= 0.25 =
N1 + N2 4
N1 + N2
= 4
N2
N1
+1 = 4
N2
N1
= 3
N2
N1
N2 =
3 ( )
N2 1 (E2 E1 )
= = exp
N1 3 kB T
(E2 E1 ) 1
= ln
kB T 3
(E2 E1 )
= ln 3
kB T
E2 E1
T =
kB ln 3
10.2 eV
= 10 104 K.
8.6 10 eV/K ln 3
5

Hence (b) is the correct answer.

4. Blow air onto your hand with your mouth wide open and then your lips puckered.
When does the air look cooler and why? Assume the process is so fast that Q = 0

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Max. marks:15 Time Allowed:15 minutes

(i.e. the process is adiabatic.)

(a) (b)

Answer 4:
It is cooler when the lips are puckered. As air is blown out of the lips, it expands. The
expanding breath of air does orderly, macroscopic work on its surroundings pushing
molecules away, W < 0. As a result the internal energy decreases, Eint = W + Q =
W < 0. This causes the air to become cooler.

5. Molecules in the combustion chamber of a rocket engine are in a high state of random
motion. When the molecules are expelled through a nozzle in a more ordered state,
what will their temperature be as their temperature in the chamber before being ex-
hausted? Assume Q = 0.
(a) temperature will be lower
(b) temperature will be higher
(c) temperature will be the same
(d) we cant be sure.
Answer 5:
In adiabatic expansion work is done on the cost of internal energy, lowering the tem-
perature of the molecules in the chamber, therefore (a) is correct. Same reasoning
applies as Q4.

6. Meteorologists use the rst law of thermodynamics in its adiabatic form (i.e. Q = 0).
Using statement of the rst law, argue why the temperature in a rising cloud falls as
it goes to higher altitudes?

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Max. marks:15 Time Allowed:15 minutes

5oC

10oC increasing altitude

20 oC

(a) the temperature falls because we are away from the warm surface of the earth.
(b) the temperature falls because the air pressure decreases with altitude, and the
cloud expands.
(c) the temperature falls because the internal energy of the cloud decreases due to
reduced pull of gravity.
(d) the temperature falls because the air pressure decreases with the altitude, and the
cloud contracts.
Answer 6:
The temperature falls because the air pressure decreases with altitude, and the cloud
expands, therefore (b) is right.

7. What happens to the air temperature in a valley when cold air blowing from the
mountain tops descends into the valley?

cold air blows in cold air blows in

air can't escape

from the valley

(a) the valleys temperature drops.

(b) the valleys temperature rises.
(c) there is no change in temperature.
(d) more than one of these possibilities are correct.
Answer 7:
As air descends into the valley, it compresses air already present. The increase in
pressure on the valleys air means work is done on the system, W > 0. Hence Eint =
W + Q = W > 0. The temperature goes up. Therefore (b) is correct answer.

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8. A bottle contains a gas of atoms. Each atom has three energy levels as shown.

E3
200 nm
E2
Incident radiation 400 nm
Emitted radiation
E1

Ultraviolet photons of wavelength 200 nm shine on the atom, enabling the transition
from E1 to E3 . However only a violet photon of wavelength 400 nm is emitted as a
result of a downward transition. Where does the missing energy go?
(a) The incident photon is scattered carrying away the missing energy.
(b) The energy of the 400 nm photon adjusts itself to make up for the missing energy.
(c) Energy need not be conserved.
(d) The atom will undergo centre of mass motion with energy E3 E2 .
(e) The gaseous atoms collide with one another, transferring the residual energy E3 E2
to one another.
Answer 8:
Since the incident photon is wholly absorbed, the process cannot result in centre of
mass motion, as would happen in (a) or (d). Energy must be conserved. The only
possibility that remains is (e). Collision between the gaseous atoms results in the atom
losing its excess energy, contributing to the disordered motion of the gas molecules,
hence increasing the temperature.

L2 (+1)~2
9. The rotational energy levels in a molecule are quantized by Erot, = 2I
= 2I
,
where the symbols have the usual meanings and = 0, 1, 2, .... is the rotational quan-
tum number. In which of these molecules, there will be the highest population in the
rst excited state Erot,1 at a temperature of 10 K?
(a) H2 (b) O2 (c) N2 (d) I2 .
The moments of inertia for these molecules (in the units of 1038 gcm2 ) are H2 = 0.05,
O2 = 0.2, N2 = 0.14, I2 = 7.5.
Answer 9:

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Max. marks:15 Time Allowed:15 minutes

2~2 ~2
The energy spacing between the = 0 and = 1 levels is 2I
= I
. The spac-
ing is smallest for largest I. Hence Erot,1 will have the most population for the I2
molecule. Lower energies mean higher populations because of the Boltzmann factor
( )
exp kBET .

10. The diagram shows the potential energy curve for two atoms brought close to one
another.

The energy of the system is shown by the dashed line. At which of the points A, B,
C, will the force be maximum and in what direction?

u(r)

O r
C A

(a) At A, repulsive.
(b) At A, attractive.
(c) At B, attractive.
(d) At C, attractive.
(e) At C, repulsive.
Answer 10:
The force is given by the negative of the slope, du(r)/dr. The magnitude of the
slope is largest at C and the direction of the slope is negative, which means that the
force is positive, indicating repulsion.

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