Activity 6: Second Law of Thermodynamics

Introduction:
The first law doesnt specify the direction of the process under
consideration and there is limitation in the conversion of one form of
energy into another. Hence, these limitations form the bases of the
second law of thermodynamics.

II

Objectives:
1 To understand the fundamental concepts of the second law of
thermodynamics.
2 To distinguish the bases of second law of thermodynamics based
from the limitations of the first law.

III

Methodologies:
1 With the aid of references Integrated Generated Materials IGM
(computers, internet) be aware of the importance of the second law
of thermodynamics.
2 Present simplified answer, solution to the questions, problems given
in VI and VII.

IV

Materials:
References
IGM (computers, internet)
Writing materials
Drawing instrument
Calculator

Terminologies:
1 Coefficient of performance is defined by the ratio of heat
transfer and the net work.
2 Combustion is a chemical process in which a substance reacts
rapidly with oxygen and gives off heat.
3 Diffusion refers to the process by which molecules intermingle as
a result of their kinetic energy of random motion.
4 Electrolysis is a technique that uses a direct electric current (DC)
to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction.
5 Entropy is a measure of the number of specific ways in which a
thermodynamic system may be arranged, commonly understood as
a measure of disorder.
6 Heat engine is used to produce the maximum work transfer from
a given positive heat transfer.

7 Irreversible process - is a process that cannot return both the

system and the surroundings to their original conditions.
8 Polytrophic expansion
9 Reversible process is a process that is always at equilibrium
even when undergoing a change.
10 Thermocouple is a sensor used to measure temperature.
VI

Research Inquiries:
1 Explain/discuss the second law of thermodynamics.

Second Law of Thermodynamics is about the quality of energy. It

states that as energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is
wasted. The Second Law also states that there is a natural tendency of
any isolated system to degenerate into a more disordered state.
A professor of physics at Missouri State University finds the

Second Law to be the most interesting of the four laws of

thermodynamics. There are a number of ways to state the Second
Law," he said. "At a very microscopic level, it simply says that if you
have a system that is isolated, any natural process in that system
progresses in the direction of increasing disorder, or entropy, of the
system.
2 Derive an expression for the efficiency of heat engine. What is the
normal range of efficiency of heat engines? Discuss briefly.
The efficiency of a heat engine is defined as the work out divided by
the energy in.
Efficiency=

W out W out
=
E
Q

by conservation of energy this is also

Efficiency=

Q Qout
Q
=1 out
E
Q

The maximum theoretical efficiency of a heat engine (which no

engine ever attains) is equal to the temperature difference between
the hot and cold ends divided by the temperature at the hot end, all
expressed in temperature or Kelvin.
The efficiency of various heat engines proposed or used today has a
large range:
3 percent (97 percent waste heat using low quality heat) for
the OTEC ocean power proposal.
25 percent for most automotive gasoline engines

49 percent for a supercritical coal-fired power station such as

the Avedre Power Station
60 percent for a steam-cooled combined cycle gas turbine.

3 Based on the second law of thermodynamics, how can you justify

that the entropy of an isolated system never decreases?

The
equal sign in the Clausius inequality above applies only to the the
ideal or Carnot cycle. Since the integral represents the net change
in entropy in one complete cycle, it attributes a zero entropy
change to the most efficient engine cycle, and makes it clear that
entropy does not decrease even in an ideal engine cycle.
VII

Generalization:
The second law is a straightforward law of physics with the
consequence that, in a closed system, you can't finish any real
physical process with as much useful energy as you had to start
with some is always wasted.