Suggestions for Completing Homework Exercises

1. Read the Exercise statement, noting the applicable section in the book, and whether the problem involves a continuous, steady-state process, a batch or other unsteady-state process, or some phenomenon not connected to a process. 2. Determine and state the subject of the exercise. For example, the subject of Exercise 3.2 might be stated as follows: The steady-state rate of evaporation of benzene from an open tank into air. 3. Determine what system of units might be best employed: SI, AE, or CGS, plus a choice of time unit (seconds, minutes, hours, etc). 4. Determine whether the Exercise is best solved with mass, mole, or volume flow rates or amounts. Determine how best to express mixture compositions (mass fraction, mole fraction, volume fraction, molar concentration, partial pressure if a gas, mass ratio, mole ratio, component flow rate or amount, etc.). Then convert the given quantities in the Exercise statement to your selection of flow rates, amounts, and/or compositions, in your selection of units. 5. Draw a schematic diagram of the process or phenomenon, showing given values, and state what is to be computed. 6. List all selected assumptions, for example, ideal gas law, Raoult's law, etc. 7. Write, develop, or refer to the applicable equations or principles, citing equation number(s) from the textbook, where possible. Always consider the applicability of the following types of equations: a. Total and/or component material balances in steady-state or transient form. b. Energy or enthalpy balances. c. Phase equilibria equations for exiting streams or batches that are well mixed, or for equilibrium-phase interfaces. d. Continuity equations for streams flowing through pipes or vessels to make conversions among average velocity, mass flow rate, mole flow rate, volumetric flow rate, and cross-sectional area for flow:

m nM Q uA

e. Mass-transfer rate equations: Fick's law of molecular diffusion in differential or finite-difference form for a solid or a stagnant fluid. Mass-transfer-coefficient form for laminar or turbulent flow. f. Heat-transfer rate equation: Fourier's law of thermal conduction for a solid. Newton's law of cooling for a fluid. g. Residence-time equations for well-mixed or plug-flow conditions. h. Equations for estimating physical properties not given, citing equation numbers in the textbook, or a reference citation if property is taken from a handbook or computer program. i. Any other types of equations for phenomena of interest. 8. Determine whether the equations can be solved graphically or analytically (preferably one-at-a-time). If they must be solved as a system and/or numerically, select a computer program to perform the calculation, e.g. a spreadsheet, Polymath, MathCAD, Maple, MATLAB, Mathematica, FORTRAN, C, C++, Java, etc. 9. Carry out the computations, showing substitutions of quantities into equations. 10. Summarize the required results, using tables and/or graphs, when applicable and feasible. 11. Comment on the reasonableness and/or significance of your results.