CHM322A: Physical Chemistry II

(D. Goswami: dgoswami@iitk.ac.in)

Assignment I
(Due in Class on 14th Jan 2016)

1. An equation of state for a rubber band is either:

1

2
0 ( )
0

0 [2 ( ) + 2],
0

0 = 0 ,

or

= 0 exp (

) 0 [2 ( ) + 2],
0

0 = 0 ,

where , 0 , and are constants, is the length of the rubber band, and the other symbols
have their usual meaning. Which of the two possibilities is acceptable? Why? For the
acceptable choice deduce the dependence of the tension, f, upon T and L/n; that is,
determine f(T, L/n).
2. Suppose you have two pieces of rubber band, each one obeying the equation of state as
given in problem 1. The temperature, length per mole, and mole number for the first piece
are: T(1), l(1), and n(1), respectively. Similarly, the second piece has T(2), l(2), and n(2).
Determine (as a function of these initial thermodynamic properties) the final energies and
temperatures of the two rubber bands if they are held at constant length and place in thermal
contact with one another. Neglect thermal convection to the surroundings and mass flow.
3. Suppose and equation of state of a rubber band is E = 2 /2 , where is a constant, L
is the length of the rubber band, and the other symbols have their usual meaning as
introduced in problem 1. Determine the chemical potential, (, ), and show that the
equation of state satisfies the analog of the Gibbs-Duhem equation.
4. Suppose a particular type of rubber band has the equation of state = /, where l is the
length per unit mass, f is the tension, T is the temperature, and is a constant. For this type
of rubber band, compute ( /) , where is the constant length heat capacity per unit
mass.