BITS F111

HOMEWORK SHEET

Module 1:
Thermodynamic system, properties and state, process & cycle, state postulate, pressure,
temperature, zeroth law, energy

1. [Thermodynamic System] An electric dip heater is put into a cup of water and heats it from
20◦C to 80◦C. Identify a system in this case and show the energy flow(s) and storage and
explain what changes.

2. [Properties] One kilogram of diatomic oxygen (O2, molecular weight of 32) is contained in a
500-L tank. Find the specific volume on both a mass and a mole basis (v and ⊽). Ans: 0.5
m3/kg and 16 m3/kmol

3. [Properties] A tank has two rooms separated by a membrane. Room A has 1 kg of air and a
volume of 0.5 m3; room B has 0.75 m3 of air with density 0.8 kg/m3. The membrane is broken,
and the air comes to a uniform state. Find the final density of the air. Ans: 1.28 kg/m 3

4. [FORCE] A bottle of 12 kg steel has 1.75 kmoles of liquid propane. It accelerates horizontally
at a rate of 3 m/s2. What is the needed force? Hint: Use the total mass = masspropane +
masssteel_bottle Ans: 271.9N

5. [FORCE] A 1500-kg car moving at 20 km/h is accelerated at a constant rate of 4 m/s 2 up to

a speed of 75 km/h. What are the force and total time required? Ans: 6000 N and 3.82s

6. [Pressure] The hydraulic lift in an auto-repair shop has a cylinder diameter of 0.2 m. To what
pressure should the hydraulic fluid be pumped to lift 40 kg of piston/arms and 700 kg of a
car? HINT: Don’t forget to balance the atmospheric pressure. Ans: 332KPa

7. [Pressure] A large exhaust fan in a laboratory room keeps the pressure inside at 10 cm of
water relative to the hallway. What is the net force on the door measuring 1.9 m by 1.1 m?
Ans: 2049 N

8. [Pressure] Two cylinders are filled with liquid water, ρ ≃ 1000 kg/m3, and connected by a line
with a closed valve, as shown in Fig. A has 100 kg and B has 500 kg of water, their cross-
sectional areas are AA = 0.1 m2 and AB = 0.25 m2, and the height h is 1 m. Find the pressure
on either side of the valve. The valve is opened and water flows to an equilibrium. Find the
final pressure at the valve location. Ans: 125.2 kPa
9. A differential pressure gauge mounted on a vessel shows 1.25 MPa, and a local barometer
gives atmospheric pressure as 0.96 bar. Find the absolute pressure inside the vessel. Ans:
1346 kPa

10. [Temperature] The density of mercury changes approximately linearly with temperature as
ρHg = 13 595 - 2.5 T kg/m3 (T in Celsius)
so the same pressure difference will result in a manometer reading that is influenced by
temperature. If a pressure difference of 100 kPa is measured in the summer at 35 ℃ and in
the winter at - 15 ℃, what is the difference in column height between the two measurements?
Ans: 6.9 mm

11. [Pressure & Force] A kid buys a helium balloon. The volume of the balloon is 0.1 m^3 and
the surface area of the balloon is 0.25 m^2. While playing with the balloon, he released the
string and the balloon went up 100 m. The balloon changed in size and the surface area
became 0.4 m^2. Assume average constant density of air (ρ=1.1 kg/m^3). Take atmospheric
pressure on the ground to be 100 kPa. g=9.81 m/s^2. Find:
(a) Total force exerted by the balloon on helium at the ground level. (25.00 kN)
(b) Pressure of air inside the balloon at 100 m altitude. (98.92 kPa)
(c) Total force exerted by helium on the balloon at 100 m altitude. (24.73 kN)

12. [Force, FBD & Pressure] The piston (massless, diameter = 0.1 𝑚)
in a piston-cylinder device moves between 2 sets of stops on the
cylinder walls as shown in the figure. Initially, the piston is in
contact with the bottom stops. At this state, the air is at a pressure
of 𝑃1 = 75 𝑘𝑃𝑎 while the atmospheric pressure is 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑚 =
100 𝑘𝑃𝑎. Find
(a) The force exerted by the stops (𝐹𝑠1 ) and the direction. (196.35
N, upwards)
The air is now heated until the piston just touches the upper set
of stops.
(b) Find the pressure of air,𝑃2 , and the force exerted by/on the
stops (𝐹𝑠2 ). (100 kPa, 0 N)
 The air is further heated so that the pressure rises to 𝑃3 = 105 𝑘𝑃𝑎.
(c) What is the force exerted by the stops (𝐹𝑠3 ) on the piston? (39.27 N, downwards)
(d) What mass, 𝑚, should now be placed on the piston such that the stops do not
experience any force due to the enclosed air? (m=4.003 kg)

13. A U-tube, with both limbs of equal cross-sectional area open to the
atmosphere, is taken. Equal volumes of oil and water are poured
through the two limbs and allowed to equilibrate. A person now
blows from the open end of the limb having oil. The oil-water
interface is now exactly in the middle as shown and the water level
is 75 cm (=30 inch) as shown in the figure. Neglecting the pressure
due to the air column, find the gage pressure exerted by the
person. (𝑃𝑔 = 1.472 𝑘𝑃𝑎)

14. A submerged door/partition separates two fluids with densities

𝜌1 & 𝜌2 respectively. The dimensions of the door are provided in the
attached figure. The door is of uniform width ‘w’. Find expressions for
(a) The force on the door due to fluid on the left
( 𝐹𝐿 = 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑚 𝑤ℎ + 𝜌1 𝑔 𝑤 ℎ2 /2 )
(b) The force on the door due to fluid on the right
( 𝐹𝑅 = 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑚 𝑤ℎ + 𝜌2 𝑔 𝑤 ℎ2 /2 )
(c) The net force acting on the door and the direction it acts.
(𝐹𝐿 − 𝐹𝑅 ), to the right.
Module 2: Properties of Pure Substances
Pure substance, vapor-liquid phase equilibrium (P-ν & T-ν diagrams), tables of thermodynamic
properties and their use, ideal gas, equations of state

Question 1. A 1 m3 tank containing air at 25°C and 500 kPa is connected through a valve to
another tank containing 5 kg of air at 35°C and 200 kPa. Now the valve is opened, and the entire
system is allowed to reach thermal equilibrium with the surroundings, which are at 20°C.
Determine the volume of the second tank and the final equilibrium pressure of air.
(Answer →: 2.21m3, 284.1 kPa)

Question 2. An ideal gas is kept in a rigid tank with 2 partitions. One side is evacuated and has
twice the volume of the other side. Initial conditions are shown in the figure. The partition is now
removed and the gas fills the entire tank. Heat Q is supplied to the tank until the original gas
pressure in the smaller chamber is restored. Find the final temperature of the ideal gas in the
tank.
(Answer →: 3600 K)

Question 3. A 1-m3 rigid tank with air at 1 MPa and 400 K is connected to an air line. The valve
is opened and air flows into the tank until the pressure reaches 5 MPa, at which point the valve
is closed and the temperature inside is 450 K.
(a) What is the mass of air in the tank before and after the process?
(b) The tank eventually cools to room temperature 300 K. What is the pressure inside
the tank then?
(Answer →: (a) 8.711 kg, 38.715 kg (b) 3.33 MPa)

Question 4. Assume we have three states of saturated vapor R-134a at +40 ºC, 0 ºC, and -40
ºC. Calculate the specific volume at the set of temperatures and corresponding saturated
pressure assuming ideal gas behavior. Find the percent relative error = 100(v-vg)/vg with vg
from the saturated R-134a table.
(Hint: Characteristic gas constant for R-134a can be obtained from Table A.5: RR-134a =
0.08149 kJ/kg K)
Answer →
Question 5. Find the phase and other properties for the given states. The material is R-134a.
Do interpolation on no. 6. Plot all the states on a T- γ & P- γ diagram.

Sl. T P Sp. Vol. Quality h Phase

No. ( ºC) (kPa) γ (m3/kg) x (kJ/kg)

1 50 0.0015

2 100 0.0015

3 25 0.6359

4 771 0.02

5 0.04213 407.07

6 500 0.04213

Answer →
Sl. T P Sp. Vol. Quality h Phase
No. ( ºC) (kPa) γ (m3/kg) x (kJ/kg)

1 50 1318.1 0.0015 0.0416 278.16 Sat. liq.-vapor mixture

2 100 - 0.0015 - 374.74 Compressed liq.

3 25 666.3 0.02 0.6359 347.73 Sat. liq.-vapor mixture

4 30 771 0.02 0.7405 370.11 Sat liq.-vapor mixture

5 15 489.5 0.04213 1 407.07 Sat vapor

6 19.44 500 0.04213 - 411.10 Superheated vapor

Question 6. Assuming the material to be water, find out the phases of the following
states. Interpolate if necessary. Show all states on T- γ & P- γ diagram.

Sl. T P Sp. volm. Quality h Phase

No. ( C) (kPa) γ (m^3/kg) x (kJ/kg)

1 100 417.44

2 15000 0.001043

3 1200 5112.27

4 2250 0.04523

Answer →
Sl. T P Sp. volm. Quality h Phase
No. ( C) (kPa) 𝞶 (m^3/kg) x (kJ/kg)

1 99.62 100 0.001043 0 417.44 Sat. liq.

2 109 15000 0.001043 - 466.97 Compressed liq.

3 1200 15000 0.04523 - 5112.27 Superheated vapor

4 218.45 2250 0.04523 0.503 1874.67 Sat liq-vapor mix.

Question 7. A piston–cylinder device contains 0.8 kg of steam at 300°C and 1 MPa. Steam is
cooled at constant pressure until one-half of the mass condenses.
(a) Show the process on a T-v diagram.
(b) Find the final temperature.
(c) Determine the volume change.
Answer → (b) 179.88°C, (c) −0.1282 m3

Question 8. A rigid tank initially contains 1.4-kg saturated liquid water at 200°C. At this state, 25
percent of the volume is occupied by water and the rest by air. Now heat is supplied to the water
until the tank contains saturated vapor only. Determine
(a) the volume of the tank,
(b) the final temperature and pressure,
(c) the total internal energy change of the water.
 Answer → (a) 0.006476 m3, (b) 371.3 C and 21,367 kPa, (c) 1892 kJ

Question 9. A piston–cylinder device initially contains steam at 3.5 MPa, superheated by 5°C.
Now, steam loses heat to the surroundings and the piston moves down hitting a set of stops at
which point the cylinder contains saturated liquid water. The cooling continues until the cylinder
contains water at 200°C. Determine (a) the initial temperature, (b) the enthalpy change per unit
mass of the steam by the time the piston first hits the stops, and (c) the final pressure and the
quality (if mixture).
Answer → (a) 247.6°C, (b) −1771 kJ/kg (c) 1555 kPa and 0.0006