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WORK DONE AT THE MOVING BOUNDARY OF A SIMPLE COMPRESSIBLE SYSTEM  93

In-Text Concept Questions

a. The electric company charges the customers per kW-hour. What is that is SI units?
b. Torque, energy, and work have the same units (Nm). Explain the diference.

4.3 WORK DONE AT THE MOVING BOUNDARY

OF A SIMPLE COMPRESSIBLE SYSTEM
We have already noted that there are a variety of ways in which work can be done on or by a
system. These include work done by a rotating shaft, electrical work, and work done by the
movement of the system boundary, such as the work done in moving the piston in a cylinder.
In this section we will consider in some detail the work done at the moving boundary of a
simple compressible system during a quasi-equilibrium process.
Consider as a system the gas contained in a cylinder and piston, as in Fig. 4.4. Remove
one of the small weights from the piston, which will cause the piston to move upward a
distance dL. We can consider this quasi-equilibrium process and calculate the amount of
dL work W done by the system during this process. The total force on the piston is PA, where
P is the pressure of the gas and A is the area of the piston. Therefore, the work δW is
δW = PA dL
But A dL = dV , the change in volume of the gas. Therefore,
δW = P dV (4.3)
FIGURE 4.4
Example of work The work done at the moving boundary during a given quasi-equilibrium process can be
done at the moving found by integrating Eq. 4.3. However, this integration can be performed only if we know
boundary of a system the relationship between P and V during this process. This relationship may be expressed
in a quasi-equilibrium as an equation, or it may be shown as a graph.
process. Let us consider a graphical solution first. We use as an example a compression process
such as occurs during the compression of air in a cylinder, Fig. 4.5. At the beginning of the
process the piston is at position 1, and the pressure is relatively low. This state is represented

P 2

dV

FIGURE 4.5 Use of a

P–V diagram to show b a V
2 1
work done at the moving
boundary of a system in
a quasi-equilibrium
process.

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94  CHAPTER FOUR WORK AND HEAT

on a pressure–volume diagram (usually referred to as a P–V diagram). At the conclusion

of the process the piston is in position 2, and the corresponding state of the gas is shown at
point 2 on the P–V diagram. Let us assume that this compression was a quasi-equilibrium
process and that during the process the system passed through the states shown by the line
connecting states 1 and 2 on the P–V diagram. The assumption of a quasi-equilibrium
process is essential here because each point on line 1–2 represents a definite state, and these
states correspond to the actual state of the system only if the deviation from equilibrium is
infinitesimal. The work done on the air during this compression process can be found by
integrating Eq. 4.3:
 2  2
1 W2 = δW = P dV (4.4)
1 1

The symbol 1 W 2 is to be interpreted as the work done during the process from state 1 to
state 2. It is clear from the P–V diagram that the work done during this process,
 2
P dV
1

is represented by the area under curve 1–2, area a–1–2–b–a. In this example the volume
decreased, and area a–1–2–b–a represents work done on the system. If the process had
proceeded from state 2 to state 1 along the same path, the same area would represent work
done by the system.
Further consideration of a P–V diagram, such as Fig. 4.6, leads to another important
conclusion. It is possible to go from state 1 to state 2 along many different quasi-equilibrium
paths, such as A, B, or C. Since the area under each curve represents the work for each
process, the amount of work done during each process not only is a function of the end
states of the process but also depends on the path followed in going from one state to another.
For this reason, work is called a path function or, in mathematical parlance, δW is an inexact
differential.
This concept leads to a brief consideration of point and path functions or, to use
other terms, exact and inexact differentials. Thermodynamic properties are point functions,
a name that comes from the fact that for a given point on a diagram (such as Fig. 4.6) or
surface (such as Fig. 3.18) the state is fixed, and thus there is a definite value for each property
corresponding to this point. The differentials of point functions are exact differentials, and
the integration is simply
 2
dV = V2 − V1
1

2
C
B
FIGURE 4.6 Various
A
quasi-equilibrium
1
processes between two
given states, indicating
that work is a path
function. b a V

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WORK DONE AT THE MOVING BOUNDARY OF A SIMPLE COMPRESSIBLE SYSTEM  95

Thus, we can speak of the volume in state 2 and the volume in state 1, and the change
in volume depends only on the initial and final states.
Work, however, is a path function, for, as has been indicated, the work done in a
quasi-equilibrium process between two given states depends on the path followed. The
differentials of path functions are inexact differentials, and the symbol δ will be used in this
book to designate inexact differentials (in contrast to d for exact differentials). Thus, for
work, we write
 2
δW = 1W2
1

It would be more precise to use the notation 1 W 2A , which would indicate the work
done during the change from state 1 to state 2 along path A. However, the notation 1 W 2
indicates that the process between states 1 and 2 has been specified. Note that we never
speak about the work in the system in state 1 or state 2, and thus we never write W 2 − W 1 .
In evaluating the integral of Eq. 4.4, we should always keep in mind that we wish to
determine the area under the curve in Fig. 4.6. In connection with this point, we identify
the following two classes of problems:

1. The relationship between P and V is given in terms of experimental data or in graphical

form (as, for example, the trace on an oscilloscope). Therefore, we may evaluate the
integral, Eq. 4.4, by graphical or numerical integration.
2. The relationship between P and V makes it possible to fit an analytical relationship
between them. We may then integrate directly.

One common example of this second type of functional relationship is a process called
a polytropic process, one in which

P V n = constant

throughout the process. The exponent n may be any value from −∞ to +∞, depending on
the process. For this type of process, we can integrate Eq. 4.4 as follows:

P V n = constant = P1 V1n = P2 V2n

constant P1 V1n P2 V2n
P= = =
Vn Vn Vn
  2  −n+1 2
2
dV V 
P dV = constant = constant 
1 1 V
n −n + 1 1
 2
constant 1−n P2 V2n V21−n − P1 V1n V11−n
P dV = (V2 − V11−n ) =
1 1−n 1−n
P2 V2 − P1 V1
= (4.5)
1−n

Note that the resulting equation, Eq. 4.5, is valid for any exponent n except n = 1. Where
n = 1,

PV = constant = P1 V1 = P2 V2

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96  CHAPTER FOUR WORK AND HEAT

and

 2  2
dV V2
P dV = P1 V1 = P1 V1 ln (4.6)
1 1 V V1

Note that in Eqs. 4.5 and 4.6 we did not say that the work is equal to the expressions
given in these equations. These expressions give us the value of a certain integral, that is,
a mathematical result. Whether or not that integral equals the work in a particular process
depends on the result of a thermodynamic analysis of that process. It is important to keep the
mathematical result separate from the thermodynamic analysis, for there are many situations
in which work is not given by Eq. 4.4.
The polytropic process as described demonstrates one special functional relationship
between P and V during a process. There are many other possible relations, some of which
will be examined in the problems at the end of this chapter.

EXAMPLE 4.1 Consider as a system the gas in the cylinder shown in Fig. 4.7; the cylinder is fitted with
a piston on which a number of small weights are placed. The initial pressure is 200 kPa,
and the initial volume of the gas is 0.04 m3 .

a. Let a Bunsen burner be placed under the cylinder, and let the volume of the gas increase
to 0.1 m3 while the pressure remains constant. Calculate the work done by the system
during this process.
 2
Gas W
1 2 = P dV
1

Since the pressure is constant, we conclude from Eq. 4.4 that

FIGURE 4.7  2
Sketch for
1 W2 = P dV = P(V2 − V1 )
Example 4.1. 1

1 W2 = 200 kPa × (0.1 − 0.04)m3 = 12.0 kJ

b. Consider the same system and initial conditions, but at the same time that the Bunsen
burner is under the cylinder and the piston is rising, remove weights from the piston at
such a rate that, during the process, the temperature of the gas remains constant.
If we assume that the ideal-gas model is valid, then, from Eq. 3.5,
PV = m RT
We note that this is a polytropic process with exponent n = 1. From our analysis, we
conclude that the work is given by Eq. 4.4 and that the integral in this equation is given
by Eq. 4.6. Therefore,
 2
V2
1 W2 = P dV = P1 V1 ln
1 V1
0.10
= 200 kPa × 0.04 m3 × ln = 7.33 kJ
0.04

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WORK DONE AT THE MOVING BOUNDARY OF A SIMPLE COMPRESSIBLE SYSTEM  97

c. Consider the same system, but during the heat transfer remove the weights at such
a rate that the expression PV 1.3 = constant describes the relation between pressure
and volume during the process. Again, the final volume is 0.1 m3 . Calculate the
work.
This is a polytropic process in which n = 1.3. Analyzing the process, we conclude
again that the work is given by Eq. 4.4 and that the integral is given by Eq. 4.5. Therefore,

 1.3
0.04
P2 = 200 = 60.77 kPa
0.10
 2
P2 V2 − P1 V1 60.77 × 0.1 − 200 × 0.04
1 W2 = P dV = = kPa m3
1 1 − 1.3 1 − 1.3
= 6.41 kJ

d. Consider the system and the initial state given in the first three examples, but let the
piston be held by a pin so that the volume remains constant. In addition, let heat
be transferred from the system until the pressure drops to 100 kPa. Calculate the
work.
Since δW = P dV for a quasi-equilibrium process, the work is zero, because there
is no change in volume.

The process for each of the four examples is shown on the P–V diagram of Fig. 4.8.
Process 1–2a is a constant-pressure process, and area 1–2a–f –e–1 represents the work.
Similarly, line 1–2b represents the process in which PV = constant, line 1–2c the process
in which PV 1.3 = constant, and line 1–2d the constant-volume process. The student should
compare the relative areas under each curve with the numerical results obtained for the
amounts of work done.

P
1 2a

2d
2b
FIGURE 4.8 P–V
diagram showing work 2c
done in the various
processes of Example
4.1. e f V

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