Questions for Practice based on Lecture 2-4

Q.1. To a closed system 150 kJ of work is supplied. If the initial volume is 0.6 m3 and pressure
of the system changes as p = 8 – 4V, where p is in bar and V is in m3, determine the final
volume and pressure of the system.
Q.2. A piston–cylinder device initially contains 0.4 m3 of air at 100 kPa and 80°C. The air is
now compressed to 0.1 m3 in such a way that the temperature inside the cylinder remains
constant. Determine the work done during this Process.
Q.3. A piston–cylinder device contains 0.05 m3 of a gas initially at 200 kPa. At this state, a
linear spring that has a spring constant of 150 kN/m is touching the piston but exerting no force
on it. Now heat is transferred to the gas, causing the piston to rise and to compress the spring
until the volume inside the cylinder doubles. If the cross-sectional area of the piston is 0.25 m2,
determine (a) the final pressure inside the cylinder, (b) the total work done by the gas, and (c)
the fraction of this work done against the spring to compress it.
Q.4. A fluid at a pressure of 3 bar, and with specific volume of 0.18 m3/kg, contained in a
cylinder behind a piston expands reversibly to a pressure of 0.6 bar according to a law, p =C/v2,
where C is a constant. Calculate the work done by the fluid on the piston.
Q.5. A cylinder contains 1 kg of a certain fluid at an initial pressure of 20 bar. The fluid is
allowed to expand reversibly behind a piston according to a law pV2 = constant until the volume
is doubled. The fluid is then cooled reversibly at constant pressure until the piston regains its
original position, heat is then supplied reversibly with the piston firmly locked in position until
the pressure rises to the original value of 20 bar. Calculate the net work done by the fluid, for
an initial volume of 0.05 m3.
Q.6. 0.2 m3 of air at 4 bar and 130°C is contained in a system. A reversible adiabatic expansion
takes place till the pressure falls to 1.02 bar. The gas is then heated at constant pressure till
Heat increases by 72.5 kJ. Calculate :
(i) The work done
(ii) The index of expansion, if the above processes are replaced by a single reversible polytropic
process giving the same work between the same initial and final states.
Take cp = 1 kJ/kg K, cv = 0.714 kJ/kg K.
Q.7. A mass of 1.5 kg of air is compressed in a quasi-static proa9S from 0.1 MPa to 0. 7 MPa
for which pv =constant. The initial density of air is 1.16 kg/m3 • Find the work done by the
piston to compress the air.
Q.8. Determine the total work done by a gas system following an expansion process as shown
in Fig.

Q.9. A piston-cylinder device, which piston is resting on a set of stops, initially contains 3 kg·
of air at 200 kPa and 27°C. The mass of the pis1on is such that a pressure of 400 kPa is required
to move it. Heat is now transferred to the air until its volume double. Determine work done by
the air and the total heat transferred to the air.
Q.10. A piston–cylinder device with a set of stops initially contains 0.3 kg of steam at 1.0 MPa
and 400°C. The location of the stops corresponds to 60 percent of the initial volume.
Now the steam is cooled. Determine the compression work if the final state is (a) 1.0 MPa and
250°C and (b) 500 kPa. (c) Also determine the temperature at the final state in part (b).
Q.11. A piston–cylinder device initially contains 0.07 m3 of nitrogen gas at 130 kPa and 120°C.
The nitrogen is now expanded to a pressure of 100 kPa polytropically with a polytropic
exponent whose value is equal to the specific heat ratio (called isentropic expansion).
Determine the final temperature and the boundary work done during this process.
Q.12. A frictionless piston–cylinder device contains 2 kg of nitrogen at 100 kPa and 300 K.
Nitrogen is now compressed slowly according to the relation PV1.4 =constant until it reaches a
final temperature of 360 K. Calculate the work input during this process.
Q.13. A piston–cylinder device contains 0.15 kg of air initially at 2 MPa and 350°C. The air is
first expanded isothermally to 500 kPa, then compressed polytropically with a polytropic
exponent of 1.2 to the initial pressure, and finally compressed at the constant pressure to the
initial state. Determine the boundary work for each process and the network of the cycle.