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Say that a car engine runs at 600K. Calculate the Carnot efficiency for
the engine.
We know that Th = 600K and that Tl = 300K. The Boltzmann constants
will cancel in the expression for the Carnot efficiency, so we obtain:
ηC = = 0.5.
Problem :
What temperature requirements make the Carnot efficiency at a maximum?
The greater the ratio between the high temperature and the low
temperature, the closer the efficiency becomes to 1. Therefore, an
extremely low lower temperature and an extremely hot higher temperature
yield a near perfectly efficient engine.
Problem :
Draw a diagram showing the entropy and energy flow in a refrigerator,
just as we did for a heat engine. Include the possibility of unwanted
additional entropy within the device.
Entropy and Energy in a Refrigerator
Problem :
The little light in the fridge was designed to shut off long before
conservation of electricity was an accepted concern. Why?
All of the energy output from the light were it on would be generated
within the refrigerator and the corresponding entropy would require
extraction. A powerful bulb of say 20 Watts could substantially affect
the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator.
Problem :
Explain why we can't open the door to the refrigerator as a method to
cool the house.
This is a good one to know to save on your energy bills. Essentially,
we are connecting the inside and outside of the device. We are
extracting heat from the "inside" and dumping it into the "outside". We
can take a step back, though, and realize that every bit of power that
runs the refrigerator must be dissipated somewhere. Therefore the net
result is that the power running the device goes to warm the
house, not cool it, though it certainly warms the house
efficiently.