10.

3 FIRST LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
Learning outcomes:
Students should be able to:
State and apply the first law of thermodynamics

Deduce the relationship from the first

law of thermodynamics
Derive and use the equation
Relate Cv,m and Cp,m to the degrees of freedom
Use the relationship to identify the types
of molecules
FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
• Based on principle of conservation of energy
• The first law of thermodynamics states that the
heat energy supplied to a gas equals the sum of
the increase in internal energy of the gas and the
work done by the gas.
Heat supplied = Increase in internal energy + work done by gas

It reflects the principle of conservation of energy

∆Q = ∆U + W ∆Q = ∆U – W’

Where Where
∆Q=heat energy ∆Q=heat energy
supplied supplied
∆U=increase in ∆U=increase in internal
internal energy energy
W=work done by the W’=work done on the
gas gas
FIRST LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
• When using equation, the sign for each symbol must be taken into
account
QUANTITY SIGN SITUATION

+ Heat supplied to the gas

∆Q
- Heat loss by the gas

+ Increase in internal energy

∆U
- Decrease in internal energy

+ Work done by the gas during expansion

W
- Work done on the gas during compression
Relation between Cv,m and Cp.m
In case 1, the volume of the
gas remains constant.
Therefore, no external work is
done by the gas

where

The amount of heat supplied

From the First Law of Thermodynamics, to the gas,

(1)
Relation between Cv,m and Cp.m
In case 2, the gas expands
from Vm to Vm + ∆Vm as the
temperature increases from T
to T + ∆T

The amount of heat supplied to

the gas ∆Q = Cp,m∆T (2)

The increase in temperature is

the same in both case 1 and 2.
Hence, the increase in internal
energy is the same in both
Using the ideal gas equation,
cases.
pV = nRT (n=1)
pVm = RT (3)
 Relation between Cv,m and Cp.m
At temperature T + ∆T, constant pressure p and volume
Vm + ∆V, equation (3) becomes
p(Vm + ∆V) = R(T + ∆T) (4)
(4) – (3)
p ∆V = R ∆T
The external work done by the gas, W=p∆V=R∆T (5)
By substituting equations (1), (2) and (5) into

(6)
Relation between Cv,m and Cp.m
It can be seen from equation (6) that CP,m > CV,m
Isochoric process –
process where the
volume stays constant

Isobaric process –
Process where the
pressure stays
constant

p-V graph for case 1 and 2