Energy, Work and Heat 95

The transfer of heat between a wall and fluid system in motion is called convection.

The transfer of heat between two bodies separated by empty space or gases through
electromagnetic waves is called radiation.

2.13.1 Sign Convention and Unit

Similar to work, heat is also a path function. While we use W to denote work, it is customary
to use Q to denote heat transfer. We have already shown the sign convention for heat in
Fig.2.24(b). To emphasis again, note that the heat flow into the system is considered positive
while heat flow out of the system is considered as negative. Refer Fig.2.24(b) for details.
The unit of heat transfer in SI is joule (J). Since joule is a very small quantity, various
practical units such as kJ (103 J) and MJ (106 J) are used as units. The rate of heat transfer
measured J/s is called watt (W). The practical units of heat transfer are kW (103 J/s) and
MJ (106 J/s).

Worked-Out Examples

2.1 A two wheeler of mass 100 kg is travelling at a speed of 50 km/h. What is its kinetic
energy?
Solution
The kinetic energy, KE, is given by
 2
1 1 50 × 1000 Ans
KE = mV2 = × 100 × = 9645 J = 9.645 kJ ⇐=
2 2 3600

2.2 An aircraft having a mass of 20 tonnes flies at a speed of 1000 km/h at an altitude of 10
km. Calculate the kinetic energy of the aircraft and estimate its potential energy.
Solution

The kinetic energy, KE is given by:

 2
1 1 1000 × 1000 Ans
KE = mV2 = × 20 × 103 × = 771, 604, 938 J = 7.716 GJ⇐=
2 2 3600

The potential energy, P E is given by:

Ans
PE = mgh = 20 × 103 × 9.81 × 10 × 103 = 1.962 × 109 J = 1.962 GJ ⇐=

2.3 An iron ball of mass 10 kg is dropped from the roof of a building which has ten floors
of each 4 m height. Estimate the velocity with which the ball hits the ground (g = 9.8
m/s2 ).
Solution

Let the height of the building be h

h = 10 × 4 = 40 m

Initially, the iron ball has a potential energy, P E, given by:

96 Thermodynamics

PE = mgh = 10 × 9.8 × 40 = 3920 J = 3.92 kJ

When the ball hits the ground, its P E = 0 and it is completely converted into KE.
1
KE = mV2 = 3920
2
3920 × 2
V2 = = 784
10
√ Ans
V = 784 = 28 m/s ⇐=

The ball will hit the ground with a velocity of 28 m/s.

2.4 Water is ejected vertically out of a fountain through a nozzle. Determine the height to
which the water can reach if the velocity of water at the tip is 35 m/s.
Solution
Assume that 1 kg of water is released at the tip of the nozzle. Then,

1 1 Ans
KE = mV2 = × 1 × 352 = 612.5 J ⇐=
2 2

As the water is ejected vertically up, its kinetic energy, KE, decreases while the potential
energy, P E, increases. However, the total energy (KE + P E) should be constant. Therefore,
at the maximum height the kinetic energy will be zero, whereas
PE = mgh = 612.5 J
612.5 Ans
h = = 62.44 m ⇐=
1 × 9.81

2.5 A two wheeler of mass 100 kg moves with a speed of 60 km/h. Find the work done by
an opposing force on the vehicle to reduce the speed to half of the original speed.
Solution
60 × 1000
Initial velocity of the two wheeler, V1 = = 16.66 m/s
3600
30 × 103
Final velocity of the two wheeler, V2 = = 8.33 m/s
3600

Work to be done to reduce the speed to half

1  2
m V1 − V22

=
2
1
× 100 × 16.662 − 8.332
 
=
2
Ans
= 10408 J = 10.41 kJ ⇐=
 Energy, Work and Heat 97

2.6 Consider a hollow sphere of mass m. Its volume is V and is immersed in a liquid of
density ρ. If the sphere is raised through a distance of h in the liquid by an external
agent. Determine the work done by the external agent. Is there any energy transfer
between the sphere and the liquid as work? What happens to the energy of the fluid?
Solution
The schematic sketch of the problem under consideration is given in Fig.2.26.

mg
ρVg

Fig. 2.26

The force, F , required by the external agent is given by:

Ans
F = mg − ρV g ⇐=

where ρV g is the buoyancy force acting on the sphere.


Ans
Work done by external agent, We = F dh = (mg − ρV g) h ⇐=

Ans
Work done by the fluid, Wf = ρV gh ⇐=

The potential energy of the fluid decreases by the amount of work done by the fluid.

2.7 In the above example, if the mass of the sphere is 5 kg and if the external agent raises
it by 50 cm, find the work done by the external agent. Take the density of the fluid to
be 800 kg/m3 . Diameter of the sphere is 10 cm.
Solution
From the above example, the work done by the fluid is given by

4
Wf = ρV gh = 800 × × π × 0.053 × 9.8 × 0.5 = 2.05
3

Work done by the external agent

Ans
We = mgh − Wf = 5 × 9.81 × 0.5 − 2.05 = 22.475 J ⇐=

2.8 During an adiabatic compression, if the volume reduces by half and initial pressure is
100 kPa and volume is 2 m3 , calculate the work done by the gas. Take γ = 1.4.
98 Thermodynamics

Solution

pV γ = C

p1 V1γ = p2 V2γ

100 × 0.21.4 = p2 × 0.11.4

p2 = 264 kPa
p2 V2 − p1 V1
W =
1−γ
264 × 0.2 − 100 × 0.1 Ans
Work done = = −107 kJ ⇐=
1 − 1.4
The negative sign indicates that work is done on the gas.
2.9 Consider a balloon which is initially flat and collapsed. It is very slowly filled with
nitrogen from a cylinder forming a balloon into a sphere of 6-m diameter. Assume
ambient pressure is 100 kPa. Assuming that filling process takes place at a constant
temperature of 300 K. Calculate the work done by the cylinder-balloon system.
Solution

Initially, nitrogen is contained in the cylinder. The filling process is carried out very slowly.
Nitrogen enters the balloon at a pressure of 100 kPa which is ambient pressure. The process
can be considered as the equilibrium process. The work done by nitrogen is given by:
 2
W = pdV = p (V2 − V1 )
1

Since balloon is initially flat and collapsed, V1 = 0.

6
Radius of ballon = =3m
2
4 Ans
W = pV2 = 100 × 103 × × π × 33 = 11, 309, 733.6 J = 11.31 MJ ⇐=
3

2.10 Helium is contained in a cylinder of 10 litres at a pressure of 10 MPa and 300 K. Helium
starts leaking into the atmosphere until the gas pressure in the cylinder becomes half.
Assume that the temperature of the cylinder and the gas remains at 300 K all the time.
If the atmospheric pressure and temperature are 100 kPa and 300 K, respectively, is
there any energy transfer as work? If yes, determine the work done by helium. Assume
that helium obeys the relation pV = nRT , where R = 8.314 kJ/k mol K and n is the
number of moles.
Solution Initial quantity of helium in the cylinder, Ni is given by

pi V 10 × 106 × 0.01
Ni = = = 0.04 kmol
RT 8.314 × 103 × 300

Final quantity of helium in the cylinder, Nf is given by,