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molecular physics

(6 points)6. Series 29. Year - S. A closing one


  • Find, in literature or online, the change of enthalpy and Gibbs free energy in the following reaction

$$2\,\;\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}_2\longrightarrow2\,\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O},$$

where both the reactants and the product are gases at standard conditions. Find the change of entropy in this reaction. Give results per mole.

  • Power flux in a photon gas is given by


Substitute the values of the constants and compare the result with the Stefan-Boltzmann law.

  • Calculate the internal energy and the Gibbs free energy of a photon gas. Use the internal energy to write the temperature of a photon gas as a function of its volume for an adiabatic expansion (a process with $δQ=0)$.

Hint: The law for an adiabatic process with an ideal gas was derived in the second part of this series (Czech only).

  • Considering a photon gas, show that if $δQ⁄T$ is given by

$$\delta Q / T = f_{,T} \;\mathrm{d} T f_{,V} \mathrm{d} V\,,$$

then functions $f_{,T}$ and $f_{,V}$ obey the necessary condition for the existence of entropy, that is

$$\frac{\partial f_{,T}(T, V)}{\partial V} = \frac{\partial f_{,V}(T, V)}{\partial T} $$

(2 points)5. Series 29. Year - 1. let it flow

Thin wire with resistance $R=100mΩ$ and length $l=1\;\mathrm{m}$, that is connected to the source of DC with voltage $U=3V$, contains in its volume $N=10^{22}$ free electrons, which contribute to the electric current. Determine what is the average speed (more accurately net velocity) of these electrons in the wire.

(2 points)5. Series 29. Year - 2. multiparticular

Let's have a container that is split by imaginary plane into two disjunct parts A and B, identical in size. There are $nparticles$ in the container and each of them has a probability of 50 % to be in part A and probability 50 % to be in part B. Figure out the probabilities of the part A containing $n_{A}=0.6n$ or $n_{A}=1+n⁄2$ particles respectively.. Solve it for $n=10$ and $n=N_{A}$, where $N_{A}≈6\cdot 10^{23}$ is Avogadro's constant.

(6 points)5. Series 29. Year - S. naturally variant


  • Use the relation for entropy of ideal gas from the solution of third serial problem

$$S(U, V, N) = \frac{s}{2}n R \ln \left( \frac{U V^{{\kappa} -1}}{\frac{s}{2}R n^{\kappa} } \right) nR s_0$$

and the relation for the change of the entropy

$$\;\mathrm{d} S = \frac{1}{T}\mathrm{d} U \frac{p}{T} \mathrm{d} V - \frac{\mu}{T} \mathrm{d} N$$

to calculate chemical potential as a function of $U$, $VaN$. Modify it further to get the function of $T$, $pandN$.

Hint: The coefficients like 1 ⁄ $T$ in front of d$U$ can be calculated as a partial derivative of $S(U,V,N)$ by $U$. Don't forget that ln$(a⁄b)=\lna-\lnb$ and that $n=N⁄N_{A}$.

Bonus: Express similarly temperature and pressure as functions of $U$, $VandN$. Eliminate the pressure dependence to get the equation of state.

  • Is the chemical potential of an ideal gas positive or negative? (Assume $s_{0}$ is negligible.)?
  • What will happen with a gas in a piston if the gas is connected to a reservoir of temperature $T_{r}?$ The piston can move freely and there is nothing acting on it from the other side. Describe what happens if we allow only quasistatic processes. How much work can we extract? Is it true that the free energy is minimized?

Hint: To calculate the work, this equation can be useful:

$$\int _{a}^{b} \frac{1}{x} \;\mathrm{d}x = \ln \frac{b}{a}.$$

  • We defined the enthalpy as $H=U+pV$ and the Gibb's free energy as $G=U-TS+pV$. What are the natural variables of these two potentials? What other thermodynamic quantities do we obtain by differentiating these potentials by their most natural variables?
  • Calculate the change of grandcanonic potential d$Ω$ from its definition $Ω=F-μN$.

(6 points)4. Series 29. Year - S. serial


  • From the inequality

$$\Delta S_{tot} \ge 0 }$$

and given the equation from the text of the serial

$$\Delta S_{tot} = \frac{-Q}{T_H} \frac{Q-W}{T_C}$$

express $W$ and derive this way the inequality for work

$$W\le Q\left( 1 - \frac {T_C}{T_H} \right).$$

  • Calculate the efficiency of the Carnot cycle without the use of entropy.

Hint: Write out 4 equations connecting 4 vertices of the Carnot cycle

$$p_1 V_1 = p_2 V_2 $$

$$p_2 V_2^{\kappa} = p_3V_3^{\kappa}$$

$$p_3V_3 = p_4V_4$ p_4V_4^{\kappa} = p_1V_1^{\kappa}$

and multiply all of them together. By modifying this equation you should be able to get

$$\frac {V_2}{V_1} = \frac {V_3}{V_4}.$$

Next step is using the equation for the work done in an isothermal process: when going from the volume $V_{A}$ to the volume $V_{B}$, the work done on a gas is


Now the last thing we need to realize is that the work in an isothermal process is equal to the heat (with the correct sign) a calculate the work done by the gas (there is no contribution from the adiabatic processes) and the heat taken away.

$ For the correct solution, you only need to fill in the details.$

  • In the last problem you worked with $pV$ and $Tp$ diagram. Do the same with $TS$ diagram, i. e. sketch there the isothermal, isobaric, isochoric and adiabatic process. In addition sketch the path for the Carnot cycle including the direction and labeling of the individual processes.
  • Sometimes it is important to check if we give or receive heat. Because sometimes this fact can change during the process. One of the examples is the process


where $p_{0}$ and $V_{0}$ are constants. Show for which values of $V$ (during the expansion) the heat is going into the gas and for which out of it.

(6 points)3. Series 29. Year - S. serial


  • All states of ideal gas can be shown on various diagrams: $pV$ diagram, $pT$ diagram and so on. The first quantity is shown is on vertical axis, the second on horizontal. Every point therefore determines 2 parameters. Sketch in a $pV$ diagram the 4 processes with ideal gas that you know. Do the same on a $Tp$ diagram. How would $UT$ diagram look like? Explain how would the unsuitability of these two variables appear on the diagram.
  • What are the dimensions of entropy? What other quantities with the same dimensions do you know?
  • In the text for this series we analysed a case of entropy increasing as heat flows into a gas. Perform a similar analysis for the case of heat flowing out of the gas.
  • We know that entropy does not change during an adiabatic process. Therefore, the expression for entropy as a function of volume and pressure $S(p,V)$ can only contain a combination of pressure and volume that does not change during an adiabatic process.

What is this expression? Draw lines of constant entropy on a $pV$ diagram ($p$ on vertical axis, $V$ on horizontal). Does this agree with the expression for entropy we have derived?

  • Express the entropy of an ideal gas as functions $S(p,V)$, $S(T,V)$ and $S(U,V)$.

(8 points)2. Series 29. Year - E. let's do some Fizzics!

Buy any effervescent (i.e. fizzy) tablets and measure the time that takes for the tablet to fully dissolve in water as a function of temperature of this water. Discuss the possible causes and propose why is the relation the way it is.

Aleš Podolník umíral na rýmu.

(6 points)2. Series 29. Year - S. serial


  • Which types of processes (isobaric, isochoric, isothermal and adiabatic) can be reversible?
  • Take the relation


where $n=1mol$, $p=100kPa$ and $V=22l$. How will $T$ change, if we change both $p$ and $V$ by 10$%$, by 1$%$ or by 0$,1%?$ Calculate it in two ways: precisely and by using the relation: $$\;\mathrm{d} T=T_{,p} \mathrm{d} p T_{,V} \mathrm{d} V .$$

What is the difference between the results?

  • d gymnastics:
  • Show that

$$\;\mathrm{d} (C f(x)) = C \mathrm{d} f(x)\,,$$

where $C$ is constant.

  • Calculate

$$\;\mathrm{d} (x^2) \ \quad \mathrm{a} \quad \mathrm{d} (x^3).$$

  • Show that

$$\;\mathrm{d}\left( \frac 1x \right)= -\frac {\mathrm{d} x}{x^2}$$

from the definition, that is $$\;\mathrm{d} \left(\frac 1x \right)= \frac {1}{x \mathrm{d} x} - \frac 1x$$

This might be handy: $(x \;\mathrm{d} x)(x-\mathrm{d}$ x) = x^2 - (\mathrm{d} x)^2 = x^2$\$,.

  • *Bonus: $This$ holds $$\sin \;\mathrm{d} \vartheta = \mathrm{d} \vartheta \quad a \quad \cos \mathrm{d} \vartheta = 1.$$ And you have the addition formula as well $$\sin (\alpha \beta ) = \sin \alpha \cos \beta \cos \alpha \sin \beta,$$ Prove $$\;\mathrm{d}\left( \sin \vartheta \right)=\, \mathrm{d} \vartheta \cos \vartheta .$$ * Bonus:** Similarly show

$$\;\mathrm{d} \left(\ln x \right)= \frac{\mathrm{d}x}{x}$$

using $$\ln (1 \;\mathrm{d} x) = \mathrm{d} x$$

  • Explain, why isobaric temperature is lower than isochoric.

(8 points)4. Series 28. Year - E. bottled potential

We have a cylindrical container, in which we make a circular hole fromthe side. We shall pour water into. Water shall slowly flow out but at some height above the hole the outpouring of water shall stop. Determine the surface tension of water depending on the height at which it stopped. Repeat the experiment multiple times with three different openings. A plastic bottle would do as a cylinder.

Karel was inspired by what Vojta Zak said he was doing at the Physics seminar.

(2 points)3. Series 28. Year - 2. bubbles

Determine the difference in surface energy of a spherical bubble and a bubble n the shape of a regular tetrahedron. Both shapes have the same inner volume $V$.

Karel remembered tetrahedric bubbles from Eureka!




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