SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Suppose that two heat engines are connected in series, such that the heat exhaust of first engine is
used as the heat input of the second engine as shown in figure. The efficiencies of the engines are 1
and 2, respectively. The net efficiency of the combination is given by

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

2. "Heat cannot be itself flow from a body at lower temperature to a body at higher temperature" is a
statement or consequence of
(A) second law of thermodynamics (B) conservation of momentum
(C) conservation of mass (D) first law of thermodynamics

3. A carnot engine takes 3 × 106 cal of heat from a reservoir at 627°C and gives it to a sink at 27°C.
The work done by the engine is-
(A) 4.2 × 106 J (B) 8.4 × 106 J (C) 16.8 × 106 J (D) zero

4. The coefficient of performance of a refrigerator working between 10° C and 20° C is :–

(A) 1 (B) 28.3 (C) 29.3 (D) 3.53

5. A refrigerator freezes 5 kg of water at 0°C into ice at 0°C in a time interval of 20 minutes. Assume
that room temperature is 20°C. Calculate the minimum power needed to accomplish it?
(A) 24.4 Watt (B) 0.1025 Watt (C) 0.0244 Watt (D) 102.5 Watt

6. A carnot engine whose source temperature is at 400 K takes 100 kcal of heat at this temperature in
each cycle and gives 70 kcal to the sink. Calculate (i) the temperature of the sink and (ii) the
efficiency of the engine.
(A) 280 K, 30 % (B) 270 K, 30% (C) 280 K, 10 % (D) None of these

7. An ionization gauge installed in the artificial satellite showed that 1 cm3 of the atmosphere
contained about a thousand million particles of gas at a height of 300 km from the Earth's surface.
Find the mean free path of the gas particles at this height. Take the diameter of the particles equal to
2 × 10–10 m.
 (A)  = 5.6 km (B)  = 2.6 km (C)  = 8.4 km (D)  = 1.1 km
8. What maximum number of molecules of a gas should be contained in 1 cm 3 of a spherical vessels
with a diameter of 15 cm so that the molecules do not collide with each other? The diameter of a
gas molecule is 3 × 10–8 cm.
(A) 1.7 × 1018/CC (B) 1.7 × 1016/CC (C) 2.5 × 1019/CC (D) 1.1 × 1014/CC

9. An ideal refrigerator operates according to the reverse Carnot cycle and transmits heat from a cold
source with water at a temperature of 0°C to a boiler with water at a temperature of 100 °C. What
amount of water must be frozen in the cooler to convert 1 kg of water into vapour in the boiler?
(A) 4.94 kg (B) 3.24 kg (C) 5.63 kg (D) 2.12 kg

10. Oxygen (10 grammes) is heated from t1 = 50°C to t2 = 150°C. Find the change in entropy if the
oxygen is heated: (1) isochorically, (2) isobarically.
(A) SV = 1.76 J/K; SP = 2.46 J/K (B) SV = SP = 1.76 J/K
(C) SV = SP = 2.46 J/K (D) SV = 2.46 J/K; SP = 1.76 J/K

11. An ideal gas expands into a vacuum in a rigid vessel. As a result there is:
(A) a change in entropy (B) an increase of pressure
(C) a change in temperature (D) a decrease of internal energy
(E) a change in phase

12. An ideal gas is to taken reversibly from state i, at temperature T1, to any of the other states labeled,
I, II, III, IV and V on the p-V diagram below. All are at the same temperature T 2. Rank the five
processes according to the change in entropy of the gas, least to greatest:

(A) I, II, III, IV, V (B) V, IV, III, II, I

(C) I, then II, III, IV, and V tied (D) I, II, III and IV tied, then V
(E) I and V tied, then II, III, IV

13. According to the second law of thermodynamics:

(A) Heat energy cannot be completely converted to work
(B) Work cannot be completely converted to heat energy
(C) For all cyclic processes we have dQ/T < 0
(D) The reason all heat engine efficiencies are less than 100% is friction, which is unavoidable
(E) All of the above are true
14. A reversible refrigerator operates between a low temperature reservoir at T C and a high temperature
reservoir at TH. Its coefficient of performance is given by:
(A) (TH – TC)/TC (B) TC/(TH – TC) (C) (TH – TC)/TH (D) TH/(TH – TC)
(E) TH(TH + TC)

15. An inventor claims to have a heat engine that has an efficiency of 40% when it operates between a
high temperature reservoir of 150°C and a low temperature reservoir of 30°C. This engine:
(A) Must violate the zeroth law of thermodynamics
(B) Must violate the first law of thermodynamics
(C) Must violate the second law of thermodynamics
(D) Must violate the third law of thermodynamics
(E) Does not necessarily violate any of the laws of thermodynamics

16. A carnot heat engine runs between a cold reservoir at temperature TC and a hot reservoir at
temperature TH. You want to increase its efficiency. Of the following, which change results in the
greatest increase in efficiency? The value of T is the same for all changes.
(A) Raise the temperature of the hot reservoir by T
(B) Raise the temperature of the cold reservoir by T
(C) Lower the temperature of the hot reservoir by T
(D) Lower the temperature of the cold reservoir by T
(E) Lower the temperature of the hot reservoir by 1/2T and raise the temperature of the cold
reservoir by 1/2T.

17. A Carnot engine takes 3 × 106 cal of heat from reservoir at 627° and gives it to a sink at 27°C. Then
work done by the engine is :-
(A) 4.2 × 106 J (B) 8.4 × 106 J (C) 16.8 × 106 J (D) zero

18. Two engines A and B have their sources at 400 K and 350 K and sinks at 350 K and 300 K
respectively. Which engine is more efficient and by how much?

19. A carnot engine working between 400 K and 800 K has a work output of 1200 J per cycle. What is
the amount of heat energy supplied to the engine from source per cycle?

20. A carnot engine works as a refrigerator between 250 K and 300 K. If it receives 750 cal of heat
from the reservoir at the lower temperature. Calculate the amount of heat rejected at the higher
temperature.

21. The temperature insides & outside of refrigerator are 260 K and 315 K respectively. Assuming that
the refrigerator cycle is reversible, calculate the heat delivered to surroundings for every joule of
work done.

22. A refrigerator takes heat from water at 0°C and transfer it to room at 27°C. If 100 kg of water is
converted in ice at 0°C then calculate the workdone. (Latent heat of ice is 3.4 × 105 J/kg)
23. A carnot engine working between 400 K and 800 K has a work output of 1200 J per cycle. What is
the amount of heat energy supplied to the engine from source per cycle?

24. The temperature T1 and T2 of two heat reservoirs in an ideal carnot engine are 1500°C and 500°C
respectively. Which of the following: increasing T1 by 100°C or decreasing T2 by 100°C would
result in a greater improvement in the efficiency of the engine?

25. A heat engine operates between a cold reservoir at temperature T 2 = 300 K and a hot reservoir at
temperature T1. It takes 200 J of heat from the hot reservoir and delivers 120 J of heat to the cold
reservoir in a cycle. What could be the minimum temperature of hot reservoir?

26. A carnot engine works as a refrigerator between 250 K and 300 K. If it receives 750 cal of heat
from the reservoir at the lower temperature. Calculate the amount of heat rejected at the higher
temperature.

27. The temperature insides & outside of refrigerator are 260 K and 315 K respectively. Assuming that
the refrigerator cycle is reversible, calculate the heat delivered to surroundings for every joule of
work done.

28. A refrigerator takes heat from water at 0°C and transfer it to room at 27°C. If 100 kg of water is
converted in ice at 0°C then calculate the work done. (Latent heat of ice is 3.4 × 105 J/kg)

29. An inventor claims to have developed an engine that takes in 105 MRJ at a temperature of 400 K,
rejects 42 MJ at a temperature of 200 K, and delivers 15 kWh of mechanical work. Wound you
advise investing money to put this engine in the market?

30. If a refrigerator is used for heating purposes in winter so that the atmosphere becomes the cold body
and the room to be heated becomes the hot body, how much heat would be available for heating for
each kW input to the driving motor? The COP of the refrigerator is 5, and the electromechanical
efficiency of the motor is 90%. How does this compare with resistance heating?

31. Using an engine of 30% thermal efficiency of drive a refrigerator having a COP of 5, what is the
heat input into the engine for each MJ removed from the cold body by the refrigerator?

32. If this system is used as a heat pump, how many MJ of heat would be available for heating for each
MJ of heat input to the engine?