Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139­4307

3.012 Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering – Fall 2003

Example Problem From Recitation (Week of 9/15/03)

Problem Statement
Two moles of an ideal gas undergo a process that brings them from 20◦ C and 5 atm to 110◦ C and 45 atm. Calculate
the entropy change of this gas.
DATA:

Cp = 25 R

Cv = 23 R

Molar mass of the gas: 32g/mol

Solution

Figure 1: Two fluids flowing down a plane of length L

Calculate entropy change by going from 1 to 2 according to:

(1 → 1� ) A reversible isothermal compression

(1� → 2) Followed by an isobaric heating

Entropy change 1 → 1�

Since for an ideal gas, U is only a function of temperature

ΔU = 0

Q = −W
 nRT
δQ = pdV = dV
V

δQ nR
dS = = dV
T V

� � � �
� V1� P1� J
ΔS 1→1 = nR ln = −nR ln = −36.53
V1 P1 K

Entropy change 1� → 2

For isobaric heating:

δQ = cp dT

5
Cp = n R
2

δQ cp dT 5 dT
dS = = = nR
T T 2 T

� �
� 5 T2 J
ΔS 1 →2 = nR ln = 11.14
2 T1� K

Now for the total process

� � J
ΔS tot = ΔS 1→1 + ΔS 1 →2 = −25.39
K